


The Swan Prince

by waltzforthemoon



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Minor Character Death, Violence, very loosely based on the 1994 animated film The Swan Princess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 86,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22866649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waltzforthemoon/pseuds/waltzforthemoon
Summary: A Swan Princess AU where Terra is a kidnapped prince who gets transformed into a swan and Aqua is a young princess-just-turned-queen who has to save her best friend from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. But if Aqua wants any chance of saving him, she has to figure out what her true feelings are for Terra-and what that would mean for the future of their kingdoms.
Relationships: Aqua/Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	1. The Arrangement

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Rainfell, there was a small girl named Aqua who was destined to become the queen of her land. She was an orphan before she could even walk, so in the absence of a king and queen, and the princess being too young to reign, the government of Rainfell was left to the High Court Advisor, a wise and elderly man named Yen Sid. He was to preside over the kingdom as the regent ruler until Aqua reached her eighteenth birthday and took her rightful place as Queen of Rainfell. 

Meanwhile, in the neighboring Kingdom of Anachór, there was a young boy named Terra. Like Aqua, he was orphaned at a young age, but Terra had the fortune of being adopted and taken in by the Kingdom’s firm, but fair, King Eraqus. Against tradition and disavowing the authority of a blood lineage, Eraqus raised Terra as his own son, and the boy was named to be the next King of Anachór.

Aqua and Terra had no idea what responsibilities, burdens, and societal obstacles they would face in the years to come once they grew into adults and were forced to confront each of their unconventional paths to becoming future rulers. To assist with the children’s transition into adulthood and to solidify Aqua and Terra’s positions as future rulers of their respective kingdoms, King Eraqus and the regent Yen Sid convened and formed an alliance between Rainfell and Anachór—an alliance that would one day be sealed through the marriage of Aqua and Terra. 

Of course, Aqua and Terra weren’t quite aware of what the alliance between their kingdoms meant—being only seven and nine years old at the time the arrangement was made. And until they could truly understand, King Eraqus and Yen Sid decided to allow Aqua and Terra to spend time together over the years, so that their alliance and future wedlock would be supported with the foundation of a true bond. 

But for all Terra and Aqua knew for the first few years of this arrangement, they were simply forced by their guardians to spend the summers together to play with each other.

**Summer, Year 1**

Prior to Aqua and Terra’s first meeting, 10-year-old Terra wasn’t too excited about being sent away for a whole month to a kingdom he’d never been to, where he didn’t know anyone, AND he would also be forced to play with an 8-year-old girl.

“I don’t want to play with a girl!” Terra moaned this phrase for the twentieth time as he crossed his arms and slouched in the corner of the spacious carriage that carried him and King Eraqus to the castle of Rainfell.

“Terra,” King Eraqus sternly reprimanded as he sat from across the boy.

“What if all she wants to do is play with dolls and wear dresses?” Terra continued with a pout. “Let’s just stay for a little and then go home!”

King Eraqus sighed and placed a hand over his brow. “Terra…it took us three days to travel here. After all, you are to stay here for the rest of the summer.”

“But you’re going back tomorrow!” Terra protested.

“That’s because I am a king, and my responsibilities lie in Anachór. I cannot be away for too long,” King Eraqus calmly replied.

Terra looked down and kept his arms crossed. “It’s not fair…”

King Eraqus shook his head and grinned. “What’s all this complaining before we’ve even arrived? You might actually enjoy Rainfell, Terra!”

“Hmmph,” Terra emphatically responded.

King Eraqus softly chuckled. “I am sure you will find many other things to do at the castle in Rainfell. And from what I hear, Aqua is a bright girl with many varied interests.”

Terra pursed his lips and frowned. He didn’t believe that he could have much in common with a little girl and he had never had friends that were girls before. At least, not since his days in the orphanage before King Eraqus had taken him in. 

_But those girls were rough around the edges—this princess, or queen, or whatever—she’s probably fancy and likes to do girly things like wear dresses and not do anything that gets her dirty,_ Terra thought to himself. _I’ll probably have to stay inside and sit still all day. How am I going to do this for a whole month?_

When they arrived at the castle gates, Terra’s mouth opened wide as he looked at the imposing stone castle. The castle back home in Anachór was impressive in its own right as a fortress in the rocky mountains, but while it was fortified and favored function over aesthetic—everything in Rainfell was beautiful and lush. There was so much greenery here, trees, bushes, flowers, and streams surrounding the castle grounds. The scenery alone made Terra excited to explore once he got out of the carriage.

But before he could think of that, he was introduced to Princess Aqua and the Regent of Rainfell, Yen Sid. 

Aqua had blue hair tied and braided into pigtails and she wore a dark blue sundress and brown boots. Terra was unexpectedly pleased to see she had laced up boots on instead of fancy heels. He himself was dressed in a white cotton dress shirt, knee-length shorts with suspenders, and he wore brown boots similar to Aqua’s.

“Hi, I’m Aqua.” The girl stuck a hand out and smiled at Terra so hard her eyes closed.

Terra cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I’m Terra.” He shook Aqua’s hand clumsily. 

Observing their meeting, King Eraqus and Yen Sid shared a subdued look of amusement with each other.

“Princess Aqua, this is Prince Terra of the Kingdom of Anachór. He is going to be our guest for the next few weeks. Treat him kindly,” Yen Sid told her.

Aqua nodded her head up and down rapidly.

“And we are honored to be guests in your home,” King Eraqus replied.

The two adults continued with a boring adult conversation as they walked to the castle and soon left Aqua and Terra to their own devices.

“Hey, do you wanna play right now?” Aqua asked.

Terra made an unsightly purse of his lips as he rolled his eyes. “What, do you want to play with dolls?”

“No…” Aqua made a worried furrow of her brow. “Do you?”

Terra blushed. “No, of course not!”

“Well, I like to play tag. Do you?” Aqua asked with a bright smile.

“Tag? Like running?” Terra asked.

“Yeah, silly! How else do you play tag?” Aqua asked with a giggle.

Terra cleared his throat and tried to stand taller next to Aqua. “Um… yeah. That’s fine.”

“Yen Sid? Can we please go play tag?” Aqua asked after skipping over to the gray-bearded man.

King Eraqus smiled down at the two children.

“Go along and play—but be safe,” Yen Sid replied.

Terra followed Aqua outside to a lawn that was nestled within the twisting gardens of the grounds. Terra was intrigued by how neatly sculpted everything looked. The maze of greenery transported him to a whole new world.

“You wanna play rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first?” Aqua asked.

“Just you and me are gonna play?” Terra asked.

“Well, there aren’t any other kids in the castle today. So, just you and me!” Aqua beamed at Terra with a big smile.

“It’ll be over too quick then!” Terra said with a smirk. He bent down and stretched his limbs to prepare.

Aqua won the rock-paper-scissors battle and it was Terra’s turn first to chase after her. But much to his dismay and surprise, no matter how fast he ran after Aqua, he couldn’t catch her in the ten minutes they sped around the gardens.

Terra was sweating profusely from his hair and felt moisture at his back as he stopped to catch his breath. He was bowed over when Aqua chirped, “Hey, you wanna give up?”

“No!” Terra sent a hard look at her and then he told her, “Start running.”

“I don’t want you to get too tired.” Aqua gave Terra a concerned stare.

Terra frowned. “I won’t!”

“Okay…” Aqua started off in a run again. Terra sprinted after her and Aqua could see how much more difficult it was for him to keep up, so she purposely sped down. Terra finally caught up to her and triumphantly gave Aqua a light pat on her back.

“Hey, you got me!” Aqua told him with a smile after she stopped.

Terra breathed in and out quickly as he bent over again, his face red. “Hey… you didn’t slow down on purpose did you?”

“Um… well…” Aqua couldn’t lie.

Terra swallowed and looked down. “Fine. We’ll play another game. After…after I get some water.”

Terra decided to take his loss to Aqua as a challenge. He was embarrassed by not being able to keep up with a girl two years younger than him, so he was going to find something they could play that he would win for sure.

Terra decided to make everything a competition: whether it was a footrace, a race to climb trees, who could do a handstand for a longer period of time, who could do more push ups, more jumping jacks—anything Terra could think of that he might be able to do better than Aqua. But Aqua always kept up with him. And worse, she seemed to enjoy every competition, even when she’d be worn out at the end of it. Terra was both impressed and resentful. 

When Terra started to run out of ideas of things Aqua might not be game for, he came up with a grotesque competition he was sure she wouldn’t be able to beat him at.

“I dare you to eat a worm,” Terra suggested one day while they were out in the garden.

Aqua wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Eww! Why would I do that?”

Terra crossed his arms and smirked. “Guess you’re too much of a girl to do it, huh?”

Aqua glared at him. “Being a girl has nothing to do with it!”

“Then do it,” Terra egged on.

“You do it first!” Aqua retorted.

“Fine!” Terra reached in the soil to find a worm, coated in dirt. He grimaced and swallowed before taking it to his mouth, Aqua watching all the while with two hands covering her mouth.

“Well… I did it…” Terra told her, trying his hardest not to give in to the urge to hurl.

Aqua still had a grimacing frown on her face. “That’s disgusting.”

“Ha! I win!” Terra exclaimed.

Aqua raised an eyebrow. “You win at being more gross? That’s not something I’d want to win.”

Terra’s grin dropped. “Oh yeah, well… you’re still just a girl!”

“A girl who can kick your butt in tag any day!” Aqua argued.

Terra frowned and started walking away. “Whatever!”

After that day, Terra and Aqua stopped playing with each other. Aqua had enough of how rude Terra was to her and Terra had enough of feeling like he was never going to be as good as Aqua at anything. The day that Terra got to go back home to Anachór didn’t come soon enough for either of them.

**Summer, Year 2**

Terra never forgot about the little girl in Rainfell who beat him at everything and he planned to get his revenge—so for his second visit he prepared himself to be in peak physical condition. But this time, Aqua was prepared for Terra’s antagonizing and she had a plan up her sleeve…

The day that Terra arrived, Aqua invited him up to her room to play. “So Terra, I thought we could play with dolls today.”

Terra bent his brow and curled his lips in dismay. “What?”

“Do you have a problem with that?” Aqua asked as she innocently blinked at the boy.

“Yeah, I do! First of all, dolls are stupid. Second of all, you’re too old for that!” Terra argued as he crossed his arms.

Aqua raised an eyebrow. “You’ve just never played with dolls properly.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m a boy,” Terra replied.

“Guess that’s just another thing I’m better at than you,” Aqua sighed as she twirled her finger in one of her pigtails.

Terra’s face flashed red. “Oh yeah?!”

“Yeah!”

“Fine! Let’s play dolls! I’ll show you how to play!” Terra said as he plopped down onto the floor with a grumpy pout and started to take out the dolls from Aqua’s toy armoire.

Aqua put a hand over her mouth to hide her amusement.

Terra set up an entire dramatic campaign between the seven dolls and figurines Aqua had at her immediate disposal—including two run-of-the mill porcelain dolls in princess-like dresses, a mermaid, two teddy bears, a small toy soldier, and a small wizard. The princesses in their tower (the armoire) were under siege by the small wizard and his army of bears. The only defense the tower had was the duo partnership of the toy soldier and the mermaid (both played by Terra) who worked together to thwart the evil wizard (played by Aqua).

“You’re really good at this, you know,” Aqua told Terra once they were done with their play-acting. (The mermaid prevailed with saving the princesses at the cost of the toy soldier’s life—it was quite dramatic).

Terra blushed. “Whatever… so you admit I’m better than you at playing dolls?”

“Sure!” Aqua replied.

Terra narrowed his eyes at her. “Why do I feel like this is a trick…?”

“I’m not tricking you, Terra. I just… wanted you to play with me.” Aqua glanced down. “All you ever want to do is try to prove you’re better than me. Don’t you ever just want to play?”

Terra kept his brow furrowed. “So you just did this on purpose?”

“I really think you’re good at playing and making stuff up!” Aqua told him.

Terra threw down the doll he had in his hands. “This was stupid.”

Aqua frowned in dismay. “Terra!”

Terra sent her a mean look. “I don’t want to play with you—and I want to go home!”

“Terra…” Aqua protested, as her eyes started watering. _Why is he so mean when I’m just trying to be friendly?_

Shortly after Terra stormed out of her room, Yen Sid came to check on Aqua and saw her crying—and she explained everything that happened. King Eraqus was still at the castle, so he was able to intervene and reprimand Terra, who was forced to apologize to Aqua.

“Maybe… they’re too young…” King Eraqus told Yen Sid privately after the children had gone to sleep. “After all, at their age, it’s a bit much to ask a boy and a girl to be friends.”

“Perhaps it would be easier if your boy wasn’t so obsessed with meeting such high expectations of what a boy his age should be capable of.”

King Eraqus narrowed his eyes at Yen Sid. “Are you implying that I have set those expectations for Terra?”

Yen Sid calmly replied, “I am only saying that young Aqua has done nothing but try to be a friend to young Terra. If he is offended at a girl being able to match him in speed, strength, and wits…this won’t bode well for a future marriage.”

“They are too young to be spending time together,” was all that King Eraqus replied.

“And yet, the younger of the two is the more mature one,” Yen Sid countered.

King Eraqus sighed. “I will take Terra home. Perhaps…he is not ready. And until he is, I won’t subject the little queen to his uncouth behavior.”

Yen Sid sighed in return. “I know these children are the kingdoms’ only hope, but… are you certain this alliance of ours will succeed?”

King Eraqus stood up straighter, giving Yen Sid a resolute nod. “If we want them to grow up to become good rulers, it will have to succeed.”

**Summer, Year 3**

The following summer, Terra was well prepared by King Eraqus for his next visit to Rainfell. As a 12-year-old, he began to truly understand what it meant to be the heir to the throne of Anachór—and that an alliance between Anachór and Rainfell meant he had to be on his best behavior every time he was in the neighboring Kingdom. So, he would try to get along with Aqua now, but he didn’t know how she was ever going to forgive him for his antics from the two years prior.

After unexpectedly being taken back home just a day after he arrived at the castle last summer, Terra was reprimanded nearly the entire journey back home by King Eraqus and further grounded when they got back to their castle in Anachór. The thing is… it’s not that Terra disliked Aqua. He knew she was nice. He knew that she could do a lot of things he did, and if it were any other kid, he probably would have been friends with her.

But being around Aqua, who was herself a princess, highlighted all the flaws Terra had as a prince, and her competence made him feel inferior. He was trying to prove his place in the Kingdom of Anachór as the adopted son of the King, but if a girl two years younger than him could beat him at anything…how special was he?

Terra knew that Aqua didn’t deserve all the venom he spewed, but he had lashed out at her because being around her made him feel like he wasn’t good enough—and being tricked into playing dolls with her was just the thing to make him go over the edge…although he had to admit that he actually had a lot of fun playing with her.

Terra was a year older now, so he had no excuse to not try and make things right with Aqua.

At ten years old, Aqua had a growth spurt and was slightly taller than 12-year-old Terra, who had yet to have his growth spurt. Aqua was at the age where she preferred wearing pants over wearing skirts or dresses, and she wanted to start learning how to fight with a sword. Yen Sid did his best to appease her and even suggested that she could practice her swordplay with Prince Terra when he came to visit. 

Aqua wasn’t too excited about Prince Terra coming to visit again, but it was clear that Yen Sid and King Eraqus weren’t going to let one upset keep them from trying to bring her and Terra together. So this time, Aqua decided she should not antagonize the boy, and let him take the lead with how they spent their free time.

“So…what do you like to do in Anachór?” Aqua asked Terra. They were sitting together to eat breakfast the day after Terra had arrived in Rainfell.

Terra looked surprised at the question. “Like… for fun?”

“Yeah! What do you like to do?”

Terra was quiet as he thought about it, and then he gave Aqua an unexpected answer. “Um…Aqua, I’m sorry for being a jerk the last time I was here. And the time before that…” Terra nervously wrung the napkin in his lap. “I guess it made me feel bad that a girl like you was better at stuff than I was.”

“Why does that make you feel bad?” Aqua asked.

Terra glanced to the side in deep thought, then frowned. “I don’t know… it doesn’t anymore. It’s kind of cool you can keep up, actually. It’s kind of like playing with a boy!”

Aqua pursed her lips and frowned.

“But… you’re not! And that’s cool!” Terra smiled at her and Aqua softened her look. It was the first time he had given her a real, friendly smile.

“Well… apology accepted,” Aqua told him. “So…what do you like to do?”

Terra was quiet again, but seemed less pensive. Then, “I guess…I like making things?”

Aqua raised an eyebrow. “Making things? Like what?”

Terra leaned his elbows on the table and then dropped his chin into his hands. “King Eraqus thinks I should spend more time reading and learning how to fight, but...I could spend a whole day whittling things.”

“Whittling?” Aqua asked with a tilt of her head.  


“Let me show you!” Terra grabbed Aqua’s hand and they both ran through the castle and up to the guest room he was staying in, where all his belongings were.

He reached into the big trunk containing most of his possessions apart from his clothing and from within, he pulled out a small wooden box. The box opened up with a latch mechanism and he pulled out a few small wooden figures. 

“They’re not that great, but…I made them!” Terra brought each wooden figure out, one by one, each carved into an animal or geometric shape. He handed one to Aqua, small enough to fit inside the palm of her hand.

Aqua glanced down and saw that she held a plump, wooden bird in her hand that was smooth to the touch. Her mouth dropped open. “Terra, you made this? This is wonderful!”

Terra pursed his lips into a shy smile. “Thank you. That one’s my best one. The others…not as good.”

Aqua crawled next to him on the floor so she could look at all the small wooden figures.

“I tried to make a little knight, but he ended up looking more like…a snowman…” Terra sheepishly said as he showed her the wooden sculpture that indeed had limbs that were too thick and bulbous to truly resemble a knight. “And this one’s a cat—you can kind of tell with the pointy ears!”

Aqua warmly looked at Terra, who had gathered all the wooden figures in his lap and urged her to look at all the details he crafted. It was the first time he was really gentle and excited to share something with her.

**Summer, Year 4.**

Aqua was eleven years old now and still taller than thirteen-year-old Terra. By this time, Terra had begun to look forward to the summer days he was to spend at Rainfell—excited to see Aqua, who he considered a friend now. They spent most of the last summer practicing swordplay, swimming in the nearby lake, and bonding over the quiet activities they liked to do, like whittling and baking.

When Terra arrived to the palace this time, Aqua wasn’t with Yen Sid to greet him and King Eraqus. Then she only briefly showed up to dinner. Yen Sid informed Terra and King Eraqus that she had not been feeling well. Terra was very concerned.

The next day, Terra asked Yen Sid if he could go play with Aqua—although he was given permission, he was advised that they couldn’t do anything requiring strenuous activity. Excited but still a bit concerned, Terra was able to find Aqua in a courtyard, where she was resting upon a cushioned wicker chaise and reading a book.

“Hey Aqua, you want to go swimming?” Terra asked, buzzing with excitement to get back into the warm lake water of Rainfell. Swimming was like breathing for Aqua, so Terra didn’t think that would be “too” strenuous for her.

But Aqua frowned and looked down. “Um, I can’t.”

Terra furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

Aqua glanced down. “I have cramps.”

Terra shrugged. “Just do some stretching, and drink water—eating bananas always helps!”

Aqua was quiet for a couple seconds, her mouth pressed into a line. “Not those kind of cramps, Terra…”

“Oh.” Terra’s face was neutral until a second later, his eyes grew large and his mouth dropped open as he realized what Aqua meant. “Ohhhhhh!” 

Terra awkwardly touched at his pointy hair. “Do you need chocolate or something? That’s what my father always says helps girls when they have lady problems.”

Aqua laughed. “I don’t know if that’ll help, but chocolate sounds great!”

Terra smiled. “Okay! ”

Terra sent a servant to fetch them as much chocolate as they could for Aqua (and for him) and then he spent the rest of the afternoon sitting with her. He was curious and asked Aqua a lot of questions about what having her period was like. To her pleasant surprise, he didn’t get squeamish about the details and, in fact, expressed sympathy.

“That sounds so awful…” Terra’s face was wrinkled in a pained grimace, his eyebrows tilting with sadness.

“Are you okay?” Aqua asked, raising an eyebrow.

Terra sighed and nodded, then pursed his lips. “Just… all women go through that torture? And men don’t have to… ever? It’s not fair!”

Aqua smiled. “It’s okay. It’s what nature intended, I guess.”

“Well, nature sucks!” Terra pouted and crossed his arms.

Aqua giggled. “Thanks for spending time with me today, even though we didn’t really get to do anything fun.”

Terra smiled at Aqua. “This was fun! I learned a lot! And Aqua, you let me know any time you’re in pain, okay? Or like… if I can help you out in any other way!”

He was smiling so brightly at Aqua, that she had to smile back. “Terra, you don’t have to.”

“Well… I want to!”

**Summer, Year 5.**

Aqua was twelve and Terra was fourteen now.

A week into Terra’s visit, Aqua had something to give to him. She had started learning how to craft on her own and had visited jewelers’ and glassmakers in the nearby village, having been inspired to craft her own trinkets.

Aqua cleared her throat as she approached Terra’s room one evening, arms clasped behind her back. “Hi Terra, I wanted to give this to you.”

“Hmm?” Terra tilted his head in curiosity.

Aqua walked forward and placed the parcel—sheer cloth tied together with red ribbon—at the foot of his bed, where he was reclining.

Terra had a smile on his face and opened up the parcel. “Why did you get me a gift?”

“Well…you’re my friend and… friends give each other gifts!” Aqua explained as she crossed her arms.

Terra took out the small charm on a string that Aqua had put together. It looked like a flower, or no, a star—with amber glass petals attached and entwined within metal wire and placed onto a string. “It’s a necklace?” Terra asked.

Aqua blushed, hoping this question meant he liked it. “Yeah. It’s… to symbolize our friendship. There’s a legend of a tree somewhere with this star shaped fruit and if you share it with someone, you’ll always be in each other’s lives. So…” Aqua nervously twirled her hair. “I want us to be friends forever.”

Terra didn’t answer Aqua and stared at the charm, holding it up close to his face to study it in detail.

“Terra?” Aqua was hoping he wasn’t going to tell her he hated it.

Terra finally smiled and then looked over at Aqua. “Thank you Aqua, this is so cool! Did you make it?”

“Yeah,” she said bashfully. “You really like it?”

“Yeah!” Terra then undid the clasp on the chain and put it around his neck. “No one’s ever given me anything like this before. I’ll wear it all the time.”

Aqua smiled wide. “I’m so glad you like it!”

Terra enthusiastically nodded. “You’re my best friend, Aqua—of course I like it!” 

He grabbed the charm and then looked at it again, looking back up to smile at Aqua. “Friends forever.”

**Summer, Year 6**

Terra and Aqua began to extend their friendship outside of their summers together with letter correspondence. The letters would get longer and longer as they tried to detail to each other what was going on in their respective kingdoms. And every letter was concluded by one telling the other they couldn’t wait until the next time they got to see each other.

Now thirteen years old, Aqua had let her hair grow long, but often wore it in a ponytail tied by a white ribbon. She also began to wear casual gowns, no longer averse to more feminine clothes, but most of the time she liked to wear tights and boots under her skirt so she could go out and do things like ride a horse and easily go on with her day without changing if she had to go into thecastle village—and also not have to deal with a dreadful side saddle.

By the time Terra visited Rainfell again, he was fifteen years old and well into his growth spurt, now towering over Aqua. But what was even more shocking to Aqua was that he was no longer a lanky boy—his tan arms were thick with muscle and he had a broad chest, and his facial structure had even changed, becoming more defined and strong.

Aqua’s eyes widened when she saw him walk out of his carriage and step down to the ground. He gracefully smiled at her, now wearing more proper royal attire in his velvet livery to match King Eraqus in black, red, and beige. 

“Terra…? That’s you?!” Aqua exclaimed as she walked forward.

“Of course it’s me,” Terra said with chuckle.

”When did you get so… big? And your voice is so deep now…”

Terra laughed as he walked up to Aqua, puffing his chest out. “Guess who’s taller now?”

Terra stretched his arms up and then rested his elbows on the crown of Aqua’s head. “You’re so little now, Aqua, it’s amazing! Got a great view from up here.”

“Oh, shut up, Terra!” Aqua giggled as she wrestled away from him.

“Ahem,” King Eraqus interrupted. “Is that any way to treat a future queen?”

Terra glanced down awkwardly as he stepped away from Aqua. “No. Sorry… your majesty.”

He and Aqua shared a glance and they both started to crack up quietly.

Yen Sid sighed. “So you leave me in the care with two teenagers now, King Eraqus.”

King Eraqus quietly chuckled. “I trust they won’t burn down the castle.”

+

It was also now at the age of thirteen, just five years left until she could assume the throne of Rainfell…that Aqua finally started to understand why Terra had been coming to visit her every summer for six years now. Yen Sid didn’t outright say it, but she knew: she and Terra were being set up to get married to each other one day.

And it terrified her.

She thought they would be friends forever, and that was enough. She didn’t want to have to start thinking about him as…her future husband. It didn’t help that he was no longer looking like the small boy she used to know. He was transforming into a young man, and…even though he was still Terra, even she had to admit that he was becoming more handsome as the years went by.

But… thinking about marrying Terra was just… _weird!_

She wondered if Terra thought about it, or if he also knew… After all, he was still mostly doing dumb stuff around Aqua and constantly competing with her in athletic feats and playing games, just like always. And he always made wisecracks about how much of a ‘boy’ she was, and never seemed to make any sort of romantic gestures towards her, so… maybe he didn’t like her like that. 

Aqua sighed in relief when she thought of that.

**Summer, Year 7**

When he stepped out of the carriage with King Eraqus, Terra had to stop and stare at Aqua. She was wearing a silver and periwinkle dress that sparkled, and her long blue hair was elegantly combed behind her with a bronze, bejeweled headband. She even wore dangling earrings and bracelets, and it was the first time Terra had noticed her wearing heels. She looked more mature and held herself with grace.

Terra had grown even taller than Aqua the year he turned sixteen, and had built even more muscle into his body. Aqua had started to change, too. Terra had always known her to be thin and athletic so to suddenly see her looking curvier and so much more grown-up, he was awestruck.

“Hi Aqua,” Terra greeted her with a brief nod, as he found it hard to look at her. She was becoming beautiful without even trying. Or maybe she always had been, but he was just noticing it for the first time.

“Hi Terra,” Aqua replied with an elegant curtsy, as she held her periwinkle skirt to the side.

“Wow, you curtsied!” Terra said with a laugh. He was also dressed in finer clothes than usual, too old to wear shorts anymore and being encouraged by King Eraqus to ‘dress more like a prince’ with a finely embroidered black jacket atop his white blouse.

Aqua scowled and she put her hands on her hips. “Shut up.”

King Eraqus went forward and bowed before taking her hand. “Aqua, what a marvelous young lady you look! Right, Terra?”

Terra awkwardly scratched behind his head. “Uh…sure.”

“Eloquently put,” Yen Sid remarked with an unimpressed glance.

Aqua rolled her eyes.

For the rest of that day, Aqua seldom talked to Terra, even at dinner. Yen Sid and King Eraqus overtook most of the dinner conversation. And then Terra decided to try and get Aqua to talk by making a joke.

“Man, Aqua, you’re so quiet, I thought you might have fallen asleep because of how boring this conversation is,” Terra whispered.

Aqua narrowed her eyes at Terra. “When are you going to grow up?”  She stood up and pushed her chair in. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

“When did you become such a princess?” Terra scoffed. “Wearing a pretty dress, heels, and now acting like you’re not hungry?”

Aqua glared at him, but said nothing. Then she turned to King Eraqus and Yen Sid. “It was good to see you again, King Eraqus. Thank you for coming to visit. I hope the journey home is swift and favorable.”

Terra kept his face squished into a palm while he rolled his eyes at this speech. But after Aqua left, he felt worried. Had he really offended her that much? 

Terra sneaked over to her bedroom shortly after dinner, and softly knocked on her door.

“Aqua?”

“Go away,” she answered from inside.

“Aqua please,” Terra said in a quiet voice. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

Aqua was quiet but then the door clicked before opening. Terra was faced with a scowling Aqua, who had already changed into two-piece pajamas.

“What else do you have to say, Terra?” Aqua asked.

Terra walked inside her room and then tentatively cleared his throat. “Hey, why are you being so…irritable?”

“I’m not,” Aqua argued as she closed the door.

Terra raised a brow. “You don’t usually get this snappy with me over little things.”

“Well, you’re the one still making fun of me for wearing a dress like we’re ten years old again! Grow up, Terra,” Aqua snapped.

Terra was stunned to silence. “Aqua…I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”

Aqua crossed her arms and sighed. “You really think it’s funny?”

“No.”

Aqua raised an eyebrow, losing her frown.

“I’m not good at words, you know that,” Terra said as he awkwardly put a hand behind his neck and looked down. “I think you look pretty and… you look like a proper princess now.”

Aqua raised an eyebrow. “Proper princess?”

“Proper future queen, I mean,” Terra corrected.

Aqua didn’t respond and just stared at him, waiting for more.

Terra groaned. “See? I’m terrible at saying things!”

“Is that a good thing? To look like a proper queen?” Aqua asked.

“Yes.” Terra glanced down with a blush. “I guess… I’m not good at giving compliments. You looked really nice today. I didn’t really know how to say that I guess.And when I’m not sure what to do, I start making jokes because I don’t know how else to make things feel less awkward.”

“Well, it was rude,” Aqua told him with a light push on his arm.

“I know… and I’m really sorry.” Terra crossed his arms. “You gotta admit that conversation between King Eraqus and Yen Sid was boring as hell, though.”

Aqua cracked a smirk. “Yeah, it was.”

“I also brought you some dessert, in case you were hungry,” Terra said as he brought out a parcel of sweet breads from one of his pockets. He sighed and made sad eyes at Aqua. “So…do you forgive me?”

Aqua sighed and gave him a smile. “Of course I do.”

+

Terra and Aqua weren’t going to be each other’s only companions that summer. 

The Stableman at Rainfell Castle recently took on a young new apprentice—a small, golden-haired boy named Ventus. He was very quiet at first, his job mostly being the tending and grooming of the horses in the stables. But Aqua would try her best to start conversations with the boy, bringing him sweets she baked as gratitude. 

Now that Terra was here, Aqua knew he might be able to get Ventus a little bit more out of his shell with an older boy to look up to.

“So when are we going to practice our swordplay?” Terra asked Aqua the day after he arrived.

Aqua giggled. “Already looking for an excuse to show off your muscles?”

Terra frowned. “No! Er…maybe… but… I’ve really gotten better!”

Aqua grinned. “I’m sure you have!”

Terra smirked. “Scared to face me now that I’m bigger and stronger than you?”

Aqua loudly laughed. “But you’ll never be faster!”

Terra narrowed his eyes. “Oh yeah?”

Aqua giggled, then quieted. “Hey, actually… I thought we could go down to the stables today. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Ventus was just finishing up feeding all the horses in the stable, wiping sweat off his brow—when he saw Aqua come in with a stranger.

He stood up very straight and brushed the dust off of his brown overalls and cap before he promptly addressed Aqua. “Your Highness! Princess Aqua, it’s good to see you! And…”

Aqua smiled while she shook her head. “Ventus, when will you remember that you don’t have to be so formal with me? Anyway, this is my friend Terra! He’s the Prince of Anachór. He’s going to be staying with us for the next couple months.”

Ventus stared at Terra, taking in the sight of the physically imposing, but friendly-looking, prince that he had only ever heard about.

“Terra, this is Ventus!” Aqua introduced with a bright grin. “He’s a little younger than us, but he wants to learn how to sword-fight, too. I thought we could all spend time together this summer.”

Terra smiled and went up to the boy, immediately extending his hand. “Hi Ventus, I’m Terra! Do you go by anything shorter, like a nickname?”

“No,” the younger boy quietly replied.

Terra grinned. “Well, I think I’ll call you Ven!”

“Ven?” Ventus looked up at Terra with aquestion in his eyes, then looked over at Aqua.

Aqua smiled as she bent over to look the boy in the eye. “Do you like that, Ventus? If we call you Ven?”

“Yeah…Ven sounds cool!” The little boy beamed at Terra.

“That’s because it _is_ cool!” Terra replied with a grin. He clapped a hand on Ventus’ shoulder. “Anyway, I heard Aqua wanted me to teach you some pointers, ‘cause I’m such a good swordsman.”

Aqua quietly laughed and looked on with fondness as Terra immediately got into teaching Ven the basic fencing stances. He did still act like a kid, but…having someone to teach and watch over like this with such care and patience… maybe Terra was more mature than Aqua previously gave him credit for.

**Summer, Year 8**

Terra came to Rainfell by himself for the first time when he was seventeen. King Eraqus believed he was ready to start traveling on his own and had trust in Terra’s ability to take care of himself should trouble arise.

“You’re here alone?!” Aqua exclaimed before even greeting him. Terra had arrived only on a single horse with all his things packed in saddlebags or strapped to his person.

Terra softly laughed. “Why are you so surprised?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Aqua asked with a frown.

Terra sighed as he took one of the packs off of his chest. “Because I knew you’d react like this.”

Aqua furrowed her brow in concern. “But… what if there had been bandits or beasts, or…”

Terra laughed as he approached her. “Aqua, in the eight years I’ve been coming to Rainfell, there have never been any beasts or bandits that tried to sabotage the carriage. And besides, on horseback I got here a day earlier than usual!”

Aqua sighed. “Still…”

Terra smiled. “Well, are you gonna give me a hug or what?”

Aqua closed her eyes and sighed. Then she smiled before stepping forward to give Terra a hug. As she pulled away, she leaped up on her toes and headbutted him.

“Ow! What was that for?” Terra asked as he started rubbing his forehead.

Aqua frowned. “For doing something dumb and dangerous like traveling here all by yourself!” 

“I’m almost an adult, Aqua,” Terra said with a roll of his eyes.

“Even if you were an adult, you should never travel alone…” Aqua solemnly replied.

Terra noticed something deeper in her eyes and decided not to make light of it. “I promise I won’t come alone the next time.”

Aqua smiled at him. “Good.”

+

Aqua ended up doing a lot of things on her own that summer, which left Terra and Ven to spend more time with each other, although the three were still able to spend considerable time together. It was strange to Terra, though. Aqua usually did things like athletic training with him, not by herself. At least, not during the summer.

On a day that Ven wasn’t at the castle, Terra decided to bring up his concerns as he and Aqua practiced their swordplay.

“So, Ven told me you’ve been doing a lot of combat training on your own—on top of horse-riding, archery, dance lessons, baking, sewing, painting, reading, studying…am I forgetting anything else?” 

Aqua flicked an eyebrow up and parried Terra’s sword before answering. “And what about it?”

Terra countered Aqua’s strike before answering, “Well…why are you doing so much? Even in the summer?”

“I have to become the best queen I can be, and that means I have to be good at everything, including combat,” Aqua replied as she and Terra clashed swords while circling each other.

“No, you don’t,” Terra replied with a grunt as he quickly blocked a swipe. “Aqua, no one is perfect. You don’t have to be good at everything to be a good queen.”

Aqua lost her confident look and stepped away, lowering her sword. “Then maybe it’s not about being perfect. It’s…”

Terra stopped and lowered his sword, too. “What? You can tell me.”

Aqua kept her glance to the floor. “It’s because… if something ever happens, I don’t want anyone else to risk their life to save me. I want to be able to protect myself and the people I care about. I’m not just going to be the pretty, graceful queen my mother was.”

Terra lowered his eyes, sadly glancing at her. “Aqua…”

She smiled up at him and put her hands up in defense. “Terra—It’s a positive thing, really! What I meant is… if I’m going to be a queen, then I want to be a queen who can take charge and protect her kingdom, and not have to wait for someone else to do it.”

Terra chuckled. “Yeah, you’re the damsel who will rescue herself, for sure. But… a prince can help you right?”

Aqua smirked. “Of course! If he can keep up!"

Terra and Aqua sparred some more until they were so sweaty that they decided to go swimming at the lake to cool off. It was the first time they had gone out to the lake in a couple years, since it was such arainy summer the year prior—and it was the first time that Aqua had seen Terra shirtless in a couple years. 

She couldn’t help but stare at how impressive Terra’s body had become. He was seventeen, and like he said, almost an adult. He was so tall and his broad shoulders, lean abs, and strong back…were a lot to get used to. At fifteen, Aqua was still growing into her body and getting used to all the changes, having to now wear corsets, and dealing with the occasional acne.

“You okay, Aqua?” Terra asked this, breaking her out of her reverie as she stayed at the edge of the lake while he was already waist-deep in the water.

Aqua blushed at being caught staring. “Yeah! Fine!”

Terra grinned. “Well, come on, slowpoke! Race you to the end of the lake!”

Aqua made a fierce look of determination as she ran into the water. “Hey, you got a headstart!”

Aqua won the race, and she and Terra continued to swim and tread water together for the next half hour. They forgot to bring towels, so they had to dry off by sitting on the grassy shore as they watched the setting sun. 

A cool breeze began to blow and Terra noticed that Aqua started to shiver. It was when he looked at her closely that he noticed something else that made him blush.

Terra picked up his shirt from the ground and handed it over to Aqua without looking at her directly. “Here.”

“Huh? Why?” Aqua took the shirt, glancing over at Terra in confusion, since she had already been wearing a white halter top she usually used to train in.

“You’re cold,” Terra said.

“Aren’t you cold too?”

“I’m okay. Anyway, you probably need to..cover up.”

Aqua raised an eyebrow. “Why?“

“Because I can see your nipples through your top!” Terra said in a whisper-shout, blushing again as he tried to not look at Aqua. “I didn’t mean to look, but… I saw—and…well, you can wear my shirt to cover up!”

Aqua frantically crossed her arms over her chest and blushed. “It’s fine!” 

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, but then Aqua glanced over at Terra and giggled. “You know, I can see your nipples, too. And to be honest, I think you have bigger boobs than me!”

Terra burst into a laugh and bent over. “Yeah, I guess so!”

Aqua and Terra continued to laugh and smile together and the two lost all the awkwardness after they stood up and began walking back to the palace.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Terra asked.

Aqua smiled as she walked, wearing Terra’s shirt that was oversized for her. “It was.”

“So try to spend a bit more of this summer capturing that feeling,” Terra replied. “And Aqua… I know you want to be an independent queen, but… you know I’m always going to be there to protect you and support you, right? As long as you’re with me, I would never let anything bad happen to you.”

Aqua stared at Terra silently, a bit stunned that he came back to that topic.

He shortly grinned. “You’re probably so badass you won’t ever need me, but just in case you ever should—know that.”

**Summer, Year 9**

The first thing Terra noticed about Aqua that summer was that she had cut off most of her hair. Her previously waist length hair was now a short bob with pointed ends. He had never seen her hair that short.

“Wow! Aqua…”

“What?” Aqua gave Terra a narrowed glance as she crossed his arms.

Terra’s eyes were wide as he grinned. “You look—”

“You hate the haircut,” Aqua interrupted.

Terra raised an eyebrow and gave an exasperated sigh. “Oh, come on… Aqua, I love it!”

Aqua’s eyes softened. “Really? Thank you.”

Terra walked up to her with a grin. “It’s so… you!”

“Well, I’m glad you think so. Yen Sid was horrified,” Aqua whispered with a chuckle while the old man behind her stayed stoic.

“Prince Terra!” Ven excitedly ran up to go give Terra a hug and fist bump. He had been invited by Aqua to join the welcoming committee this year.

“Ven, you’re getting taller!” Terra told him as he ruffled the younger boy’s hair. Ven was nearly fourteen years old, but he was still small for his age.

+

Through his letters, Aqua heard of all the things Terra had been doing in Anachór, all the official visits King Eraqus invited him on, and all the new princely duties he had now that he was an adult. For the most part, it sounded like Terra spent a lot of time traveling to take inventory of the goods and crops that would be imported and exported between the capital city and the provinces of Anachór. On top of that, there were formal appearances Terra had to make to meet all the important people in every province he visited—which required meticulous studying of each region of Anachór, imposed by King Eraqus.

Now that Terra was “of age” at eighteen years old and Aqua was sixteen, just two years shy of the year she planned to be coronated as Queen of Rainfell, they both were allowed to go out into the nearby village of Rainfell Castle for the first time without an escort. 

Aqua was excited to finally be able to see what she wanted to see without being on official business—and to do it with Terra. They had the entire day planned out and were preparing to go before Terra was interrupted by a servant.

“Prince Terra, a letter has been sent to you from King Eraqus,” the servant told him.

“Already? I’ve only been here a week,” Terra remarked with a raise of his eyebrow. “Is there something wrong?”

Before the servant could reply, Yen Sid stepped in to explain as he was seeing both Aqua and Terra off before their excursion to the village. “To my understanding, you are going to be receiving a series of letters during your stay here. King Eraqus has already scheduled his couriers.”

Terra pursed his lips. “Why not just send them all at once?”

Yen Sid was quiet. 

Terra thought to himself with resentment, _King Eraqus doesn’t trust that I can do what I am told—without being told—when he chooses to tell me…_

Aqua noticed the scowl on Terra’s face and cleared her throat. “Well… let’s wait to read the letter until after we come home.”

Yen Sid protested, “Princess Aqua—“

“Terra is in Rainfell, and as the Princess of Rainfell, I decree that the letter can wait,” Aqua said with a pointed raise of her eyebrow.

“And as Regent—”

“As Regent, you can take your future queen’s considerations as your own!” Aqua said with a smile.

Yen Sid sighed, then looked over at Terra. “Very well. The letter will be delivered to your chamber, where you will be able to read it upon your return.”

Terra smiled over at Aqua and mouthed a “thank you.”

+

Terra eventually had to deal with King Eraqus’ letters as they arrived, and he ended up isolating himself much of the time during his stay in Rainfell to get King Eraqus’ assignments done. Aqua supposed she had just never seen this side of Terra, since he usually reserved his summer visits as time off from all of his princely duties. 

Terra began to have letters sent to him twice a week. It always seemed that when he was finally done with one task, another letter would arrive—interrupting a good day with Aqua or Ven, or otherwise having to cancel some other plan they all had.

“Another damn letter in the same day,” Terra growled after a servant delivered an envelope to him while he, Aqua, and Ven were sitting by the lake. He took one look at the letter, then ripped it in half.

“Terra!” Aqua protested. Ven didn’t say anything but looked worried.

Terra sighed. “I’ve had enough of this… If he wanted me to be here, why is he giving me all this work to do? Why did I even leave Anachór if all I’m doing in Rainfell is the work I’d be doing back home?”

Aqua tried to approach him, but Terra shrank from her touch.

“Sorry, Aqua, I have to go be alone.” Terra forced a smile with pursed lips, then picked up the two ripped pieces of the envelope . “You and Ven stay here and have fun.”

Aqua stared after Terra, who looked absolutely miserable. It was even worse than the few instances she had seen him angry. At least those times, he had life in him. Now with the latest frustrations, his eyes were cold and he kept everything inside, bottled up. Aqua had to go check on him.

After she and Ven were finished swimming and Ven was taken home, Aqua went to go find Terra, especially as he was not in his guest chamber and he had not shown up to dinner. Aqua knew she would find him in the indoor boxing room that he had set up a few summers ago as a replica to one he had in his castle in Anachór. Terra didn’t go there often when he was visiting, but after not finding him anywhere else in the castle, it was the first place she could think of.

Aqua quietly walked into the boxing room and saw Terra in his training clothes, repeatedly giving side hook punches to a bag in the room, and then a few kicks, an uppercut, and finally one more punch powerful enough to knock the bag down off the chain.

He was breathing in and out heavily as he bent over, staring at the bag.

“Terra, is everything okay?” Aqua asked as she tentatively walked over.

Terra was surprised to see her for a second, but then he stood up straight and pushed the hair out of his face. “I’m fine, Aqua.”

Aqua was quiet and didn’t move, wondering what else to say. He clearly wasn’t fine.

Terra walked over to a cushioned bench at the edge of the room, then sat down. Aqua made her way over to sit next to him. 

Terra sighed. “Things have just been stressful with my father lately. He’s just… pressuring me so much with all this responsibility and even before I came here, all year…it’s like he’s been testing me to see if I’m fit to be a prince—ever since I turned eighteen, he’s really ramped it up. And it’s like I can’t ever do anything right by him and I feel like I can’t even be in the same room without him criticizing me for something.”

Aqua placed a comforting hand on Terra’s back. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“Well, it feels true…” Terra moped. “‘Terra, you did the math wrong—Terra, you should have smiled more—Terra, it was inappropriate of you to shake hands with that man before he bowed to you—Terra, you need to be well-spoken like Princess Aqua— _Terra, were you even thinking?!_ ”

Terra slammed a fist down on the side of the bench he was sitting on. “And now he’s criticizing me from afar and keeping me from spending time with you—like he’s punishing me for not… not being good enough.” Terra crossed his arms and continued in a quieter voice, “I feel like I’m never going to be good enough for him.”

“You _are_ good enough!” Aqua fiercely told him as she slammed her own fist down on the seat.

Terra glanced over and shortly smiled at Aqua. “Thanks. I just… need my father to see that. And maybe then I’ll believe it.”

Aqua frowned. “Terra—you are kind and brave, you always listen to people when they need help, and you never give up on something you try to accomplish. You’re a good person and you will make a great king! And if King Eraqus doesn’t see that, then… he doesn’t see anything!”

Terra softly gazed at Aqua. “You really mean all that?”

Aqua fiercely nodded. “Of course I do!”

Terra’s eyes began to well up with tears. “Sorry…”

“Don’t apologize,” Aqua told him. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

Terra wiped at the forming tears with his thumb and cleared his throat. “I’ve been feeling like such a failure. I bet King Eraqus is regretting his choice to name me as his heir. Regretting making me his son.”

“Terra.” Aqua gently, but firmly grasped his jaw to turn his face to her. “Stop. Please, stop saying all those untrue things.” Terra stared at her with tears in his eyes. Aqua’s eyes started watering now.

“You are not a failure. You are good enough for me, and for so many other people, King Eraqus included.” Aqua smiled at him. “And anyone who says otherwise can go kick rocks.”

Terra finally smiled at her. “Thank you, Aqua.”

Aqua moved forward and embraced him into a tight hug. Terra hugged her back, gripping her firmly in his arms as he let out more tears.

**Summer, Year 10**

Terra was nineteen and Aqua was seventeen.

Their daily responsibilities were now heavy with royal and diplomatic duties, but thesummer was still their time to enjoy each other’s company. When Terra returned to Anachór last summer, he directly confronted King Eraqus about how inconvenient it was to be doing task after task while he was at Rainfell. So they both agreed that Terra could have two months of freedom during his summer at Rainfell—if he completed more duties at home before his visit. This meant that Terra didn’t have as much time to write letters to Aqua that year, but it made him all the more excited to join her that summer. 

Terra was now also well aware of the implications of continuing his visits to Rainfell to maintain and strengthen the kingdom’s alliance with Anachór. Now that he had to preside over things like export and import taxes, King Eraqus wanted Terra to attend town hall meetings in the nearby provinces of Anachór to understand how the alliance with Rainfell was affecting trade and industry.

But the only implication of Terra’s annual visits that general society seemed to care for and the question on everyone’s lips and on the front page of every newspaper was: W _hen is Prince Terra going to marry Princess Aqua, future Queen of Rainfell?_

Terra didn’t like to think about it too much because it gave him anxiety, and Aqua didn’t seem to have interest in him in that way. At least, she never mentioned anything about marriage, so until she did, he was going to keep his mouth shut. After all, the summers with Aqua were Terra’s sanctuary and he didn’t want to do anything to ruin it.

When Terra arrived to Rainfell that year, he came only with the intention to relax and to make sure Aqua had time to relax, too. He knew the burden of being a young royal having to learn the ropes while being asked to make major decisions that affected thousands of people. As a queen, Aqua would probably have even more of a burden placed on her than he had as a prince. So if this was her last summer as a princess, Terra wanted to make sure she enjoyed it.

There were meteor showers during the first few weeks Terra was at Rainfell, and one night he, Aqua, and Ven all stayed up late to camp out on blankets and watch the skies for a dazzling show. Ven only made it to midnight and was snoozing before they even got to see that many. That left Terra and Aqua alone, with only the wind and crickets making sound in the grass.

Terra reached into his satchel for a small wooden box with a blue bow tied on it. He cleared his throat and then tapped Aqua’s arm.

“Hm?” Aqua turned to see Terra offer her the small box. “What’s this?”

Terra smiled. “It’s a gift. I made you something. Been a long time coming, actually. But since Ven is out cold, figured this is a good time as any to give it you.”

“Terra…” Aqua smiled over at him. “I wasn’t expecting this!”

Terra shrugged. “Open it.”

Aqua carefully opened the wooden box and under the light of one of their lanterns, she opened the box to see a small wooden charm that was whittled to perfect detail of a star-shaped flower. It was attached to a necklace chord and it matched the charm that Aqua had made Terra, all those years ago.

“I just thought I should give you one, too,” Terra quietly told her.

“Terra, I love it!” Aqua said as she turned to him. Then she covered her mouth, hoping she didn’t wake up Ven.

Terra softly chuckled. “Really?”

“Yes!” Aqua grinned wide. “My very own Terra-made jewelry!”

Terra smiled.“I started teaching myself to do more intricate designs, and I took a really long time trying to make the edges perfect. Been meaning to finish it for years now.”

Aqua took the necklace out of the box and then fastened it around her neck. “I’ll cherish it forever.”

Aqua and Terra shared warm glances, and then sat back together on the blanket to watch the stars. Ven was still asleep and started to softly snore.

“Hey, Terra…?” Aqua asked.

“Yeah, Aqua?”

"Next summer, after I turn eighteen, I’m going to become a queen. What if…nevermind.“

“What if, what?” Terra asked.

Aqua bit at her lip and continued, “What if… we can’t spend time like this together anymore? What if this is the last summer we get to just be friends?”

Terra quietly thought for a moment. “Well, then you’ll just have to come out to visit me before next summer.”

Aqua tilted her head. “You think Yen Sid will let me?”

“You’re the future queen, Aqua, you shouldn’t need permission,” Terra countered.

Aqua grinned. “Well, you know how he is…”

“You’ll be with me, though! And in the most fortified castle for thousands of miles! No safer place to be,” Terra said with a grin.

Aqua smirked. “Okay, you’ve convinced me! We might need to work on convincing Yen Sid, though…”

“Not a problem,” Terra told her. “It’s kind of wild you’ve never been over all these years, though.”

“Yeah… it is!”

Terra leaned over to face Aqua, talking over Ven’s sleeping form. “Well, how about this winter? We get snow in the mountains, so… we could have snowball fights or make snow-people!”

“Sure!” Aqua giggled. “Do you have good hot chocolate at your castle?”

“The best!” Terra boasted. “And maybe you can bring Ven with you!”

“Alright!” Aqua cheerfully replied.

**Summer, Year 11, Present Day**

Aqua’s eighteenth birthday finally passed and her coronation as the new Queen of Rainfell was imminent. Terra made his annual visit near the end of the summer, of course. And this time he came with a small cohort of his personal royal guard.

“Terra!” Aqua grinned and ran up to meet Terra who met her with a hug as he scooped her up and twirled her around.

When Aqua landed, she giggled. “When will you stop growing?”

“This is probably the tallest I’m gonna get,” Terra said with a chuckle. 

“One could hope,” Aqua joked.

Terra’s brow furrowed in a sad expression. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it to your birthday party… I’ll make it up to you.”

Aqua shook her head. “Terra, I understand. You had work to do and you couldn’t get away. I don’t take it personally.”

Terra cracked a half smile. “Still, I wish I could have been there.”

Aqua smiled. “Well, you’re here now!” 

Terra smiled, then his eyes widened. “Oh—also, I should introduce you to Captain Fair. He’s my best friend in Anachór and also the Captain of my personal guard squad. He was away on a mission when you came to visit.”

Aqua glanced behind Terra to see a group of soldiers dressed in shining metal armor and the black and red colors of Anachór. She was still wearing her riding outfit after coming directly from the stables: tan trousers, black boots, a white blouse, and a brown jacket over it. She wasn’t formally dressed because she hadn’t expected to be meeting a whole group.

Captain Zack Fair, who was at the front of the guard squad, was an athletic and fairly tall (though not as tall as Terra) young man with black hair and captivating blue eyes. He grinned widely at Aqua, so hard his eyes briefly closed, and she couldn’t help but already feel at ease with someone who had such a genuinely friendly face.

Zack approached Aqua and knelt down on one knee. “Your highness, pleased to meet you. Captain Zack Fair at your service!”

Aqua quickly bowed and shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Captain Fair! A friend of Terra’s is a friend of mine!”

“Wow! You’re… real informal here in Rainfell, huh?” Zack asked with a raise of his eyebrow and a short laugh. “So you’re the queen! Hmm…somehow Terra didn’t do you enough justice with all his descriptions!”

“Zack,” Terra muttered under his breath.

The other guards collectively sighed. Aqua remembered meeting them last winter: Cloud, Tifa, and Angeal. Aqua glanced past Zack and walked forward to welcome each of them with a handshake. 

“And King Eraqus?” Aqua asked once she returned to Terra’s side.

“He will be arriving later for your coronation,” Terra answered. “I came a bit early because… well, I wanted it to be normal at least for a couple more weeks before you officially became queen.”

“So we will be needing to entertain these soldiers for a fortnight before their presence is actually required?” Yen Sid had seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and it made Terra jump.

He made an awkward grimace before replying, “Well…”

Aqua flattened her eyes. “Yen Sid is just joking.”

Terra’s eyebrows rose. “I didn’t know he joked.”

Yen Sid quietly chuckled. “Well, Prince Terra, I trust your cohort won’t make too much of a ruckus while you are responsible for them.”

Terra straightened up and replied, “Yes, Sir. I mean—no, Sir! We won’t be making a ruckus at all!”

“Very well,” Yen Sid said with what almost passed for a grin.

“C’mon, man,you’re spazzing out,” Zack told Terra in a whisper as he came up close to him.

Terra gave him a narrow-eyed look, but was broken from it when Aqua spoke again.

“Well, are you going to come into the castle or not?” She radiantly smiled at Terra, who gave her a grin in return. 

“Hold your horses,” Terra good-naturedly retorted. “You missed me that much?”

Aqua made a frown. “And what if I did?”

“I missed you a lot, too,” Terra said as he gave her a gentle smile.

+

After Aqua returned to the stables, Terra and his guard squad were all given rooms within the castle and took time to settle in before they were to all have dinner. Terra was helping Zack unpack and get his room together when Zack suddenly slammed the door closed.

“Okay, we need to talk,” Zack said as he placed his hands on his hips and gave Terra an intent stare.

Terra furrowed his brow. “…What?”

Zack cleared his throat. “Look, I get it—you and Princess Aqua have been arranged to spend your summers together all these years and it’s never fun to do something grownups want you to but—how have you known Aqua for ten years and not done anything about it?”

“About what?” Terra asked.

Zack grabbed at his hair as he spun around and groaned. “I can’t believe this!”

“You wanna tell me why you’re being so weird right now?” Terra asked as he crossed his arms.

Zack sighed. “Well… do you like Aqua?”

“Of course I like Aqua! She’s my best friend,” Terra answered.

Zack crossed his arms and stared Terra in the eye. “No, I mean… _like her_ , like her.”

Terra glanced to the side. “I mean…I guess.”

Zack briefly closed his eyes and took in a slow breath. “You two are getting married! You’re happy about that right?”

Terra put his hands up in protest. “Hold on—no one said we were getting married any time soon—“

“She’s going to become a queen in two weeks, Terra. This is what everything's been building up to for the last ten years! Once she becomes queen, she has to get married soon. Who else would she marry but you?”

Terra swallowed, and then he blushed. Zack was a little older than him, and he was someone Terra looked up to when they were just boys—and Zack seemed to be a lot better at the romantic stuff. So maybe there was some value to what he had to say about Aqua?

Zack moved forward and clapped a hand on Terra’s shoulder. “So what are you waiting for, man? Aqua is beautiful, and badass, and kind, and laughs at your dumb jokes. You have to pop the question!”

Terra rubbed a hand on his neck anxiously. “But Aqua and me… we’re not like that. Not yet, anyway.”

“But you want to be, right?” Zack asked.

Terra’s cheeks burned. “Well, only if she wanted to be…”

“She clearly likes you, too, dude!”

“Well, sure. As a friend,” Terra replied.

“But aren’t you two getting married? Isn’t that the whole reason you’ve been making these visits every summer for ten years?” Zack told Terra.

Terra sighed. “Well, Aqua and I haven’t talked about it yet…”

Zack’s eyes widened. “You’re telling me that in all the years you’ve been coming over here, you never once talked about getting married? The thing that literally EVERYONE in Anachór and Rainfell knows is going to happen?”

Terra shrugged emphatically. “Well…it never came up! ”

Zack flattened his eyes at Terra. “How?”

Terra hopelessly shrugged as he hung his head.

“Well, maybe you should talk about it. Seeing as. You know. It kind of majorly affects the future of both Anachór and Rainfell!” Zack exclaimed.

Terra sucked in a deep breath, finally feeling the reality of the situation. He and Aqua were both adults now. And he had to start thinking about her as his future wife. If not for his own feelings, for the alliance between their kingdoms.

Then Terra sighed and glanced out the window, which looked over the gardens he and Aqua had often played in as kids. “Even if it wasn’t for the alliance…I’m not sure if I could marry anyone else but Aqua. I don’t think there’s anyone else I’m ever going to meet who’s going to be as good to me, who’s going to be as understanding, and kind, and silly, and just…get me like she does. There’s no one else like her. Not for me, anyway.”

Zack grinned at him. “Then make a move, Terra. If that smile on her face earlier today was anything to go by…she loves you, too. She didn’t even notice any of us were there with you until you said something. She only had eyes for you.”

Terra thought about Zack’s words as his heart began to race. _Could it be…? Could Aqua and I really love each other like that?_

+

When Aqua returned to the stables after welcoming Terra and his cohort, she met with Ven, who had been tending to the horses.

“Ven!” Aqua grinned. “Terra’s here! He has his guard squad with him, too. Maybe these are new people you can befriend?”

“Maybe!” Ven grinned and turned his attention back to brushing the coat of a black horse. “So Terra’s going to be here for your coronation, huh?”

“Of course! But he’s here a bit early so we have time to be together before then. King Eraqus and other members of the royal courts from far and wide will be coming later,” Aqua said, now feeling a bit nervous hearing herself say it out loud. 

Ven smiled as he turned back to Aqua. “Good! Do you think you and Terra will get married soon?”

“Uh…” Aqua felt herself blush. “Oh—I don’t know, Ven…”

Ven stopped what he was doing and faced Aqua completely. “That’s why he comes here every summer, right? Because you two are going to get married one day, to join the countries and all?”

Aqua felt her throat grow dry. She couldn’t think about the future. She couldn’t think about the friendship she held so dear suddenly having a different nature to it and she and Terra no longer being friends—but having to be each other’s husband and wife, queen and king… That wasn’t who they were at all to each other. And Aqua wasn’t sure she wanted to ever become like that.

“Aqua?”

Aqua shook her head and then glanced back at Ven, who had an eyebrow arched in worry. “Sorry, Ven, spaced out a bit.”

“You like Terra, though, don’t you?” Ven asked. 

“Of course, he’s my best friend.”

“But in the other way, like… do you love him?”

“It’s hard to say,” Aqua answered with a sad look at the ground.

Ven gave her a knowing smile. “I think he loves you.”

Aqua blushed. “Ven! What makes you say that?”

“ _I have eyes!_ And I’ve been here the last three years,” Ven said as he placed his hands on his hips and gave her an indignant pout.

Aqua chuckled at this, but Ven continued, “The way he always looks at you like you’re the stars and the moon. You make him so happy, Aqua.”

Aqua smiled at Ven, and then she thought of Terra. She loved him, and they had only ever been growing closer in very important ways as they grew older. But…

“Even if he loved me like that… what if I can’t love him back the same way?” Aqua asked.

Ven furrowed his brow in confusion. “But… if you two like being together, and you both love each other, what else do you need to get married?”

Aqua didn’t answer and glanced to the horizon. What else _did_ she need? 

“There are different kinds of love, Ven. And when you get married to someone, that requires a very specific type of love and feelings for another person,” Aqua said, trying to convince herself as well. “One day you’ll understand, when you’re older.”

Ven scowled and crossed his arms. “I hate when people say that.”

Aqua chuckled, and then she had a sad look on her face. “I know the feeling. But unfortunately, getting older means things get more complicated, whether you want them to or not.”

_And I really don’t want me and Terra to ever get complicated. I wish nothing could change from the way things are now…_

+

The next two weeks passed as normally as they could, except for the fact that the castle was going through an entire transformation to be lavishly decorated and the ballroom was in the process of being remodeled to set up for Aqua’s coronation ceremony. Aqua was allowed to step away from all the preparations and enjoy her time with Terra, Ven, and sometimes the guard squad members. She and Terra spent most of their time in the outer grounds and even camped out near the lake for a couple nights to feel like kids again.

Terra couldn’t stop thinking about what Zack said, but he had no idea how to even broach the subject of marriage to Aqua. They were having so much fun and it had been such a long time since they just got to be like this, so he didn’t want to ruin it.

Meanwhile, Aqua did her best to try and not think of the ceremony at all—which meant that she was thinking about it constantly. And constantly feeling the anxiety of the pressure she felt from everyone’s expectations. Namely, the expectation that she get married to Terra after becoming the Queen of Rainfell. 

She wasn’t ready. She was barely ready to even become a queen! Terra’s friendship was the one grounding force in her life, and now that was at risk of being taken away from her. She wondered if he even had the intention to marry her—the one comfort she had these last two weeks was that he was acting completely normal with her. But she couldn’t completely quell the anxiety in her heart.

The night before Aqua’s coronation, Terra found her in the garden, that same beautiful manicured maze of shrubbery where they played the first day they met. Aqua softly laughed to herself thinking about that day ten years ago and how far they had come since then. These days, Terra was all tenderness and laughter with her. That angry, jealous little boy disappeared a long time ago.

“Hey,” Terra said as he approached her.

“Hey,” Aqua told him while she stayed perched on a stone bench with her legs crossed.

“It’s a nice night out, huh?” Terra commented as he sat down next to her.

“Yeah, it is,” Aqua replied as she looked up to the stars again.

“Something on your mind?” Terra asked, breaking the silence.

Aqua lowered her gaze. “Um. No. Not really. You?”

“Nah, not really,” Terra answered, clearing his throat.

Aqua turned to him and smiled. He was such a bad liar. “Well, I’m guessing you didn’t come out here to find me for nothing.”

Terra grinned at Aqua and then looked down. “Well… it’s just. What happens when you become a queen?”

Aqua glanced down at the stone. “I’m not going to lie and say things won’t change. Because they will. Everything might change.”

Terra nodded.

“Terra… I’m a little scared,” Aqua told him in a quiet voice as she turned to him.

Terra placed a hand on hers and squeezed. “You’re incredible, Aqua. You’ll be a great queen.”

Aqua smiled at him. “I just wish… I had someone to tell me how to do it all. Yen Sid has been training me my whole life but… what would my parents have told me?”

“Well, I'll tell you even with a parent, King Eraqus doesn't tell me much about his own experience. He wants me to figure it out for myself." Terra intently looked Aqua in the eye. "You won’t be alone, Aqua. I’ll be here for you, even though you probably wouldn’t need my help.”

Aqua exhaled and smiled. “Thank you, Terra. I do need you, though.”

Terra glanced at Aqua, his eyes widening in surprise. “Really? For what?”

“You… make me feel stronger. Like I can do things. If I didn’t have you here… oh, I’d probably just be throwing up from all the anxiety right now.” Aqua said that last bit with a grin.

Terra softly laughed. “That’s a lovely thing to picture.”

Aqua giggled in response.

“Well, in hoping you still have an appetite tomorrow… what kind of cake are you going to have for your coronation celebration?” Terra asked.

Aqua giggled again. “I thought you hated cake!”

“I don’t hate it! I just…don’t like most of them. Anyway, you love cake.” Terra tapped her knee with his. “So…what’s the special cake going to be?”

“It’s a surprise,” Aqua told him with a raise of her eyebrow.

“I bet it’ll be sweet,” Terra said with a crooked grin. “And have fruits in it, your favorite.”

“Only the best thing to have in a cake!” Aqua replied with a teasing push on Terra’s shoulder.

Terra made an exaggerated expression of disgust on his face and Aqua chuckled.

Once they quieted down, Terra announced, “Well, that settles it.”

“Settles what?” Aqua asked.

“When we get married, we’re definitely getting separate cakes,” Terra replied with a soft laugh.

Aqua froze before Terra had even finished his sentence. Even though he had said something so lighthearted, it made her feel so uneasy.

Terra saw her look and his smile dropped. “Aqua? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.” She forced a laugh. “Separate cakes is sure a funny idea…”

She stood up quick and cleared her throat. “Well… I’m gonna go to bed!”

“Sure,” Terra said, standing up. “You want to look your best tomorrow, huh?”

“Yeah, haha,” Aqua nervously replied.

“Aqua…” He had placed a hand on her shoulder and Aqua looked up to meet his gaze. “Don’t worry so much. I’m going to be here to support you when you are Queen. I’ll always be there for you, remember?”

Terra pulled out his star-shaped necklace that Aqua gave him so many years ago.

She dropped her jaw in pleasant surprise. “You still have it?”

“Yeah, of course!”

“I always wear mine, too.” Aqua pulled out her wooden charm necklace that Terra gave her.

“Aqua, nothing will change for us after tomorrow,” Terra told her with a warm gaze.

Aqua smiled. Maybe Terra had been thinking about this, too? Maybe he wanted their friendship to stay the same, too? Maybe that’s what his words meant, that sounded so much like the words Aqua had been telling herself.

Aqua breathed out easy now. “Thank you, Terra. Well, we should both go to sleep.”

“Race you back?” Terra asked with agrin. “For old times’ sake?”

Aqua smiled big. “You’re on!”

**The Coronation**

The coronation ceremony was something that Aqua had been rehearsing for the last couple months, and it was all so grand—yet so boring. The blue-grey stone hall was filled with gold, white, and silver decorations—the colors of Rainfell—in streamers, tapestries, and beautiful flowers arranged in hanging bouquets. The stained glass windows in this hall let in sunlight in patterns that strategically allowed the glass lamps to glisten and reflect multiple colors of light throughout the space. It was pretty, but Aqua wanted all of this to be over as soon as possible.

With a small orchestra and choir lending their music to fill the vast stone architecture, Aqua completed a slow walking procession through the great hall. Hundreds of people were in the audience, watching her as she did her best to steadily walk with the heavy skirt of the dress she wore—a silver taffeta gown that belonged to her own mother, the Queen of Rainfell before her. The gown was simple on the front with a single pleat and a box-shaped neckline, long sleeves that draped nearly to the length of Aqua’s skirt and were connected to the cape-like train, which was bunched up and tapered into a fold before extended for twenty more feet behind Aqua. She also wore all the same steel and silver jewelry her mother had worn at her coronation, with her inclusion of Terra’s necklace. It didn’t match her clothes, but she didn’t want to take it off.

The traditional rites of the coronation were recited by a group of very important looking people in white and gold robes, and Yen Sid escorted Aqua to the throne, where she sat and subsequently took her oath as Queen of Rainfell. Once the required exchange was completed, Aqua had the royal dark blue, fur-lined cape placed around her shoulders and she was finally crowned with a glistening diadem made of steel and crystal, shaped into intricate designs. It was a beautiful, yet heavy, ornament to complete Aqua’s physical transformation from princess to queen.

Aqua glanced around as the bells tolled and the audience applauded, now that she was officially the Queen of Rainfell. It didn’t feel any different from five minutes ago, except that there was all this noise and Aqua wondered how she was going to get up off of this throne and be able to comfortably walk under the weight of all the fabric, steel, and jewels she was wearing.

While hundreds were there to see her, Aqua mostly cared to meet eyes with a few people in the front row. She glanced around and met eyes with Terra, and Ven right next to him with a wide grin on his face. Aqua smiled, wondering how Terra managed to get him up to the front row despite the traditional protocol of reserving that row for those of royal rank. Then there was King Eraqus who was applauding with a gracious smile and Yen Sid, who had now officially stepped down from his role as regent, bowing and smiling at Aqua in reverence.

Aqua’s heart was beating fast now. This was it. Everything was going to change after this moment. From this day forward, she would have to be a queen. And yet, she didn’t feel any different—and that made her feel so uneasy. She had hoped that gong through this process and being coronated would somehow have given her the sense of courage and confidence she needed as a queen—or at least a feeling that she might know what to do next. But she didn’t feel anything new, and still was just as clueless about whether she was even doing everything right in this ceremony. It was terrifying.

Aqua glanced to the audience and met eyes with Terra again. He had his hand enclosed in a fist near his throat—and that’s when Aqua realized he was holding onto the charm she gave him. Seeing his calm smile, Aqua finally started to breathe, and she herself reached for his necklace that she wore under all her regal attire. She smiled back at him and felt her heart calm down.

+

After the ceremony, Aqua was able to remove some of her gown (the segment where the sleeves connected to the train, so that she was now able to reasonably move around with a normal gown). She also made sure to wear her comfortable boots, hidden underneath her skirt, knowing that for the next hour and a half she had to meet with visiting diplomats while the rest of her guests were able to eat. 

Aqua did her best not to yawn in front of anyone, but all this standing, curtsying, repeating of polite phrases to accept gifts, and inquiring about other people’s countries or provinces was exhausting. She hoped that being a queen didn’t mean having to do too much of this on a daily basis.

When the queue of visitors seemed to thin out and the last diplomat walked off with a polite smile, Aqua was met with a wonderful sight: her best friend Terra standing in front of her in a polite stance, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Hey!” Aqua smiled at Terra. “Finally, someone I can talk to without curtsying.”

Terra laughed. “You got to get your squats in somehow, today, right?”

Aqua rolled her eyes and breathed out a laugh. “Well…are you having fun? It hasn’t really been much of a party.”

“Ven is keeping me entertained, although I wish we could have been spending more time with you. More importantly, are you having fun?” Terra asked.

Aqua made a light groan and then chuckled, “Well… now that I’m talking to you, yes!”

Terra grinned. “Well, you still get to open presents, right?”

“Yeah, I guess there’s that,” Aqua said with a soft laugh.

“Well, speaking of,” Terra started, “Would you mind if I gave you my gift right now?”

Aqua blinked. “Oh. Sure, if you want to!”

Terra smiled at her. “Okay! Well… close your eyes first.”

Aqua narrowed her eyes. “You know I hate surprises.”

“This is a good one! And isn’t every wrapped gift a surprise for you anyway, technically?”

“Alright…” Aqua said as she grinned and closed her eyes.

“Before you open your eyes, I have to warn you that this gift is going to be very small, actually. I hope you still like it.”

“Of course I will!”

“Well, open your eyes, Queen,” Terra told Aqua.

Aqua opened her eyes to see that Terra was gone—until she looked down and saw him bent down on one knee, with a small open box perched in his hand, outstretched to her. There was a jewel in that box—it was a ring.

Aqua grew cold and felt her heart sink. _Oh no…_

Terra had a blush on his cheeks as he grinned up at Aqua, eyes so full of earnest apprehension. 

“Aqua, I know that we weren’t exactly brought together by fate as much as by two grumpy old men,” Terra started with a nervous laugh. “And I know this is what has been expected of us for the past decade, but even if it wasn’t—Aqua, I love you. And if I’m gonna marry anyone, I’d want to marry my best friend. And we will always be best friends—that part wouldn’t have to change! It would just mean you would be my best friend AND my wife!”

Terra paused to gently take Aqua’s hand in his as he stared up at her. 

Aqua’s throat grew dry and she felt herself break into a cold sweat. _Why is he making this so much worse with such a beautiful speech?_

Terra took in a deep breath, and then smiled at her. “Aqua, you make me feel strong, too. When I feel like things are impossible, when I feel like a failure, you’re always there to lift me back up and help me believe in myself. You’ve always been amazing that way. I promise to do the same for you, should you ever need it.”

Aqua felt a stab in her heart. She could tell that Terra really meant every word he said.

Terra breathed out a nervous laugh. “I’ve just said a lot of words here and I hope they made sense and didn’t sound dumb.”

“Terra…” Aqua quietly started.

Terra continued, “I guess all there’s left to say is… Aqua, will you marry me?”

Aqua glanced down at the ring again, the jewel of which was cut into a shape of a five-pointed star, or flower—just like the matching necklaces she and Terra wore as a symbol of their friendship. 

She looked from the ring to Terra’s eyes, which matched the hue and shine of the blue jewel. Then Aqua glanced to the side to see King Eraqus and Yen Sid watching intently, as well as the few hundred or so attendees holding their breath, waiting for Aqua’s answer.

“Aqua?” Terra asked, his smile dropping just slightly and his brow furrowing in concern.

Aqua swallowed hard and looked back at the ring.

Terra stood up and sighed. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have done it in front of everyone—“

“No! I’m sorry, Terra…” Aqua started. Her heart hammered against her chest. She knew in her heart she couldn’t say yes, but with everyone watching?

He gently placed a hand on hers. “You don’t have to say it to the world. Just to me.”

“Oh, Terra…” Aqua whispered. She glanced down at his hand and slowly took hers away. “I can’t.”

“What?” Terra whispered.

“I can’t marry you,” Aqua sad in a louder voice so he could clearly her her.

“Oh…” 

Aqua saw the color drain from Terra’s face, meanwhile she felt her cheeks grow warm from the awkwardness she felt. 

“Terra, it’s not you—it’s—“

“What is it?” Terra whispered, his eyes looking hurt.

Aqua swallowed, hoping to soothe her dry throat. “I don’t… think I’m ready.”

Terra breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled. “Well, we don’t have to get married right away. We can wait as long as you want!”

Aqua frowned and sadly stared at the ground, unable to meet Terra’s eyes. “It’s not just that, Terra. I don’t want to get married to you. Period.”

“Oh,” Terra said again, in a voice that was louder than a whisper.

Aqua heard a chorus of a gasp sound throughout the hall. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. “We can talk about this somewhere else! I’m so sorry—“

“No. It’s—It’s fine. I—“ Terra’s eyes looked lost as he glanced down, his face growing pale. Aqua felt mortified at how humiliated and hurt he must feel.

“Terra, I do love you! Just… not like that.”

Terra was quiet as he looked at the ground, still holding the open ring box in his hand. “This was stupid of me.”

“No, Terra. Don’t call yourself that,” Aqua protested.

“I feel so stupid—I thought you wanted this, too. I’m such an idiot,” Terra’s eyes started to shine with tears now.

Aqua exhaled a heavy sigh and reached out a hand to touch Terra’s elbow. “Terra I love you, as a friend. But if I’m going to get married… I want more than that. I want to be in love, and absolutely certain I am truly _in love_ with the person I marry. I mean, we’ve never even been with each other that way before—we’ve never even talked about getting married!”

Aqua then felt a bit angry, because why couldn’t have Terra at least talked to her about this before he proposed? They talked about everything before—so why not something as important as marriage?

Terra nervously touched at his neck. “Well… I tried to bring it up last night. Remember when I said the thing about getting separate cakes?”

Aqua bent her brow in perplexity. “You call that talking about it? Making a joke about cakes?”

“It wasn’t a joke! I really would want a separate cake!” Terra answered with a blush. Then his brow furrowed as he looked Aqua in the eye. “Of course, if you didn’t want to marry me, why didn’t you say anything last night? Like ‘ _no, Terra, we won’t have separate cakes because we’re never going to get married!’_ ”

Aqua groaned. “Really, Terra? You think talking about hypothetical cakes at a hypothetical wedding is the same thing as a serious discussion about getting married?” 

“No… You’re right. We should have talked about it properly.” Terra crossed his arms. “But why are you putting this on me only? You know, you might have mentioned it in the last ten years that you never wanted to marry me. You could have brought it up last night when I said the thing about the cakes!”

“Oh, will you shut up about the cake!” Aqua retaliated as she clenched her fists in exasperation.

“See? Now we’re fighting!” Terra threw his hands up. 

“What do you mean, ‘see’?” Aqua asked as she put her hands on her hips.

“I mean—if you were going to get this annoyed about it why did you never say anything?”

“Because I never thought you would be asking me to marry you on the day of my coronation!” Aqua lashed out. She tried to hold back her forming tears of frustration.

At that moment, violins struck up and a waltz started to play. It was a paltry attempt by the orchestra to try and get attention off of Terra and Aqua, even though everyone had already heard the worst.

“I thought it was going to make you happy,” Terra finally said in a quiet voice. He swallowed and glanced down. “I knew a lot of things might change once you became Queen, but I wanted you to know that I was ready to commit to being your partner for life. And we were going to get married anyway, so I thought…why wait to ask if I was ready now?”

“‘We were going to get married anyway?’ That was never officially decided, Terra!” Aqua argued.

Terra glanced at Aqua sadly. “I know, but… I was ready to marry you. Because I’m in love with you. If you weren’t a queen and I wasn’t a prince…I would still feel that way.”

Tears formed in Aqua’s eyes as she heard those words. “Well, I’m sorry you feel that way. And I’m sorry that I can’t accept your marriage proposal.”

Terra glanced down and took the ring away, enclosing the box. “Okay.”

Aqua sighed and lost her anger. She reached out and placed a hand on Terra’s arm. “Terra, this doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Just…not in that way. I still care about you—very much!”

“You don’t have to say any more, Aqua.” Terra wiped his tears away with one hand.

Aqua felt the blood leave her face. She didn’t know what to say.

Terra met her eyes, his still reddened from crying. “I’m going to leave. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t wait another second before turning around and walking away.

“Terra, wait… Please!” Aqua cried out as she stepped forward. “I just…”

Terra didn’t seem to hear her, or perhaps he purposely didn’t turn around as he continued to walk away.

“I just never wanted things to change,” Aqua quietly said, knowing her words would never reach Terra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note/fun facts: I came up with the name Anachór for Eraqus' kingdom to derive it from the literal Greek translation of "land of departure", which is _chóra anachórisis_ and obviously Aqua's kingdom is named after her keyblade :D


	2. A Missing Prince

I.

Terra had packed his things quickly after the coronation and didn’t talk to anyone except for King Eraqus. They had made arrangements to leave the next morning and return to Anachór. It hurt Terra to leave, but it was clear that there was no more reason for him to stay in Rainfell that summer.

“It really is a shame that things had to end this way, King Eraqus,” Yen Sid said to the King of Anachór, before sending him off at the castle gates.

King Eraqus had his hands clasped behind his back and nodded with a frown. “Yes, I am disappointed.”

He turned to Aqua, who was also there to send off the royal traveling party from Anachór, even though this was the last thing she wanted to be doing at this moment. She was still feeling mortified from the prior day’s disastrous event. After Terra stormed away from the hall, she had to try and maintain her composure for the next few hours while guests awkwardly found excuses to leave the celebration early.

But worse than the humiliation Aqua felt, was the guilt for the pain she inflicted on Terra. Standing opposite him now, seeing how cold and unhappy he looked—and the fact that he couldn’t even look her in the eye…she almost couldn’t breathe, smothered by the tension in the air.

“Royals are lucky to ever find love in marriage, Queen Aqua,” King Eraqus told her. “I hope your judgment has not been clouded by girlish romantic fantasies—“

“King Eraqus!” Yen Sid reprimanded.

Aqua looked down at her feet, an uncomfortable frown on her face.

“Apologies,” King Eraqus said with a bow. “I am, however, incredibly disappointed. I had expected better judgment from such a bright young woman.”

“Father, stop!” Terra protested. He and Aqua briefly caught eyes, sharing expressions of sadness, guilt, and discomfort.

King Eraqus glanced at Terra after his outburst and then he sighed. “Our alliance still stands with Rainfell. I look forward to working with you in the future, Queen Aqua.”

“I look forward to it, too, King Eraqus,” Aqua said as she bowed.

There was an awkward silence as she and Terra stood across from each other, but neither of them wanted to look each other in the eye. It was obvious that they were expected to exchange some words.

Yen Sid cleared his throat and gently nudged Aqua with a subtle touch at her back.

Aqua finally glanced at Terra and straightened up. “Goodbye,Terra.”

Terra had his arms crossed and was looking down at his feet before he returned Aqua’s glance. King Eraqus, just like Yen Sid, also cleared his throat. 

Terra straightened up, and then he made a polite bow with one hand behind his back. “Farewell, Queen Aqua.”

Aqua felt the cold sting of his formal address—and all she could do was stand and stare as Terra stood up and turned away, all without making eye contact. Then he and King Eraqus left. And Aqua had no idea when she would ever see Terra again.

“Queen Aqua,” Yen Sid started.

“Yes?”

“Are you certain that you have made the choice of your heart?”

“My heart?” Aqua questioned.

“I know that you and Prince Terra had a genuine friendship.”

Aqua took in a deep breath, then turned to Yen Sid. “Do you think I did the right thing?”

Yen Sid was silent for several seconds. “That is not for me to judge. I am only to follow your lead.”

Aqua nodded with a sad purse of her lips.

“But,” Yen Sid continued, “As a queen, you will be faced with many difficult choices. What is right will always be up to you—but what is right for you, what is right for your people, what is right for the world, and what is right for those you hold closest to your heart, will not always align. There will be times when you won’t know what the right course of action is. It is in those moments that you must listen to your heart carefully, and take heed of what it tells you.”

Yen Sid turned to Aqua and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “My dear Queen Aqua, this is your burden as the ruler of Rainfell, to make that decision each day, as long as you shall live and reign. Listen to your heart, and learn to trust it.”

Aqua didn’t answer Yen Sid, and carefully considered his words. 

She thought she had done the right thing and followed her heart—because she genuinely wasn’t ready to marry Terra, and she didn’t know if she would ever be ready for that. It wouldn’t have been fair to lie to Terra and she didn’t want to say “yes” just to give in to everyone else’s expectations. She wanted to be honest. That was always the right thing to do, wasn’t it?

But if it was the right thing to do, then why did it feel so terrible? Because Terra was hurting? But Terra wasn’t the only one hurting. Aqua had lost him, too, and there was an ache in her heart as she watched his carriage get smaller and smaller in the distance.

_Perhaps this is a lesson that sometimes there is no way to make a right choice. Because in the end, no matter how ‘right’ a choice seems, hurt might still follow._

“Terra…” Aqua thought aloud, “How do I make this right?”  
  


II.

The journey back home to Anachór was going to be a long one, and Terra thought to himself that the dark clouds in the sky were definitely fitting for how he felt on the inside. To think that if he had never proposed to Aqua, they could have been laughing and smiling together right now.

Terra sat opposite King Eraqus in their carriage and there was an uncomfortable silence for an hour or so before King Eraqus heaved a frustrated sigh.

“You couldn’t have waited?” King Eraqus suddenly asked.

“Waited until what?” Terra asked, knowing perfectly well what he alluded to.

King Eraqus gave him a hard stare. “Until we could have done things properly. Marriage is the ultimate symbol of the alliance between our nation and Rainfell. We’ve been planning this for ten years!”

Terra glanced down at his knees. “It wouldn’t have mattered how long I waited. She doesn’t want to marry me. Period.”

King Eraqus sighed and gazed out of the window with a sad expression. “Perhaps it was a mistake, then…to allow you two to get so close over all these years, to cloud her heart with affection she’s mistaken for friendship. Perhaps if we’d waited to introduce you two, perhaps if we’d taught her that marriage does not need to have love…”

Terra stared at King Eraqus with a raise of his eyebrow. He didn’t know what to say that, but he didn’t agree.

“If you can’t marry Aqua, we will have to start looking at prospects from other kingdoms,” King Eraqus continued.

Terra grimaced. He didn’t want to think about marrying anyone else. “Maybe I don’t need to marry anyone.”

King Eraqus gave Terra a skeptical stare. “Yes, you do. And you need to do it soon. Marrying Aqua, who is now the Queen of Rainfell, would have secured your place as King, if not of Anachór, at least as King-Consort of Rainfell.”

Terra furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about?”

King Eraqus sighed. “Terra, your legitimacy is being questioned by the council. When I pass on, if you are not married to another royal of equal rank, I fear the council may not approve of you assuming the throne.”

“I thought that stuff was over,” Terra said, remembering the public outrage over his adoption and designation as King Eraqus’ heir—when he was just a small boy who was just getting used to living in a castle, after living most of his life in a small orphanage.

“Why do you think I’ve been making you go out and meet with your people, having you show them how responsible you can be, and how you have their best interests in mind?” King Eraqus asked Terra. “I want our people to _want_ you as their next king. There are others who want power in Anachór. Others who would be jealous of you, who may despise you for it, and… who may try to take it away from you.”

Terra glanced down and swallowed. “So Aqua and me… this was all just about politics and making sure I would have power?”

King Eraqus shook his head. “No. Yen Sid and I genuinely wanted you and Aqua to grow close and fall in love. It would make things easier for the heavy burden you both bear. She, of course, will have her authority questioned as a young queen. Especially now as she has refused a marriage proposal in public, a marriage that would have solidified the alliance between our nations. She is going to be criticized for it.”

“But if she doesn’t love me, she doesn’t have to marry me,” Terra said with a sad glance out the window. “I wouldn’t want her to marry someone she doesn’t love.”

“Terra…” King Eraqus reached over and placed a hand on Terra’s shoulder. “Aqua will come to her senses. She is unlikely to find another suitor any time soon. And it won’t be long before she is pressured to produce an heir for her throne.”

“But she just became the Queen…” Terra narrowed his eyes. “Why would she be pressured to have an heir already?”

“Because that’s what it means to be a king or a queen. You have to guarantee succession so that your kingdom continues to live on. That is our burden and our most important duty to the throne.” King Eraqus glanced down at his own knees. “I went through that same pressure for decades. Until I adopted you.”

Terra somberly looked down. “But… surely Aqua will have time to do all that… or she could do what you did and name her own successor.”

King Eraqus shook his head. “Terra, both you and Aqua are in a precarious position to assume your roles as rulers if you do not marry soon. This was why we wanted you two to marry each other in the first place, to produce at least one _legitimate_ heir for both Rainfell and Anachór, securing both of your positions as King and Queen.”

“You mean…you wanted me and Aqua to get married just to…have a baby with each other?” Terra blushed and swallowed nervously when he realized what King Eraqus had meant. “This is too much! Does Aqua know?”

“You’re both adults now. This is what we’ve been preparing you for all these years.”

“I don’t care about any of that.” Terra leaned his chin on his fist as he looked out of the carriage window. “I just know that I love Aqua. I thought that once she became Queen, it would have been easier for us to be together.”

King Eraqus sighed. “I think Aqua needs time to realize what her feelings truly are. Give her the time… All hope is not lost yet.”

Terra only had a couple seconds to think about that before something jolted the carriage, causing him and Eraqus both to be shaken from their seats.

“What was that?” King Eraqus said as he cautiously stood up.

The carriage was jolted again and the horses whinnied in a panic. Terra braced himself by holding on to the roof of the carriage.

“What should we do?” Terra asked. “Is it an attack?”

“Get down!” King Eraqus exclaimed before bringing a hand onto Terra’s shoulder to force him to the floor of the carriage. Terra glanced up and saw flames burst through the windows, causing pieces of glass to fall around him. He closed his eyes and shielded his head with his hands.

“We need to get out of here!” King Eraqus said before pushing his way out of the carriage, an arm shielding his eyes. Terra quickly followed him and removed his dagger from the sheath at his hip.

There was chaos outside of the carriage, as the road was streaked with black scorch marks and the surrounding grass and trees were all aflame, blinding with their light.

The horses seemed to have run away and members of both Terra and Eraqus’s guard squad were hurt on the ground while others were preparing for another attack.

“What hit us?” Terra cried out. 

“Here it comes again!” Zack shouted as he readied his sword and shield.

Terra looked up, and from the dark grey clouds, he saw something even darker swoop down towards him. 

“Terra!” It was King Eraqus who had shouted and pushed Terra down onto the ground as flames erupted behind him.  
  


III.

After seeing off Terra and King Eraqus, Aqua immediately went up to her chambers in the castle and began writing a letter. She wasn’t sure that Terra would ever want to come back to Rainfell and a letter might be the only way she could communicate with him at this point. Even if Terra felt like he had no reason to come back, Aqua wasn’t about to give up on their friendship that easily.

She started and scrapped several letters, in which she poured out all her thoughts and apologized so many times—but nothing she wrote sounded good enough on paper. Aqua wished she could just talk to Terra, face to face, alone. This entire mess could have been prevented if they had just talked about their expectation to marry before he ever proposed.

_Maybe that was the real reason he tried to find me that night?_ Aqua thought to herself, remembering how Terra seemed to bring up the ‘separate cakes’ thing out of nowhere on the night before her coronation. _Maybe that really was his way of trying to talk about it. Maybe if I hadn’t immediately run away from it…_

Aqua stood up and started to pace the floor in her study.

_But why was he so sure I would say yes? He wouldn’t have risked me saying no in front of everyone, would he?_

Aqua was still lost in her thoughts when a servant barged into her room. She jumped at the loud sound of the door being flung open.

“I apologize, Queen Aqua, but there is an emergency! Please come to the receiving hall!”

Aqua did not hear any further details and quickly made her way to the small hall where she usually received official visitors. She gasped as she saw a bloodied and soot-stained Captain Zack Fair standing in front of her throne next to Yen Sid.

“Captain Fair! What happened?!” Aqua exclaimed.

“Queen Aqua,” Zack said as he took great effort to kneel down. It looked like it pained him.

Aqua rushed forward and helped him stand up. “No, there’s no need for that! What happened to you?”

Zack hung his head and then sadly glanced up at her. “There was an attack on the King and Prince’s traveling cohort—and the King sent me here, to get help.”

“King Eraqus sent you?” Aqua questioned.

“Yes. It was a ‘last order’ from him to come here and let you know.” Zack swallowed and then glanced down. “He’s hurt and he is most likely dying.”

“Oh, no! King Eraqus… And Terra? Is Terra… Is he—?” Aqua didn’t dare to finish that question as tears welled up in her eyes.

Zack gave her a sympathetic stare. “We don’t know yet. A few members of the company were killed. Most of the others are wounded. It was a giant flying beast that attacked us. But there was…so much fire. I couldn’t see much because it was so dark and all the flames made it hard to see it clearly.”

“Where is Terra?” Aqua asked as her heart thudded against her ribcage. “Is he still there?”

Zack shook his head. “He’s missing.”

Aqua shook her head in disbelief. “Missing? You mean he’s gone?”

“Queen Aqua…” Zack gently placed a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry…. but when the beast left, Terra was also gone. He might be—”

“Don’t say it!” Aqua snapped.

Zack hung his head and sighed. Then he moved away from her.

“Queen Aqua, what would you like for us to do?” Yen Sid asked.

“Yen Sid, please have the staff at the stables prepare horses for our guard. They will begin a search for Prince Terra immediately,” Aqua calmly said. “Captain Fair, you will lead us to the site of the attack. But first, you should get treated.”

Zack nodded and he was led away from the receiving hall by a servant. Aqua glanced past Zack to the open door, where water was splashing down from the heavy rain that seemed to have only recently started. The sky was growing darker and darker by the hour.

_Terra is out there somewhere… missing… he could be hurt… what if he…?_

“What else shall you have us do, your highness?” Yen Sid asked Aqua, bringing her back to the present, away from all her fears.

Aqua slowly shook her head. “Nothing. Not until we find Terra.”

“Nothing?” Yen Sid asked as he followed her.

Aqua turned around. “I have to find him. Nothing else matters.”

“Queen Aqua—the guard will look for him. Your responsibility is to—“

“My responsibility is to make sure Terra is alive,” Aqua interrupted with a hard stare at Yen Sid. “I’m going with the guard to search for Terra myself.”

Yen Sid frowned and gave her a dark stare. “Queen Aqua! Although I may not be regent any longer, I am still your advisor. And I strongly advise against this course of action.”

“Terra left because of me! It’s my fault he’s gone,” Aqua quietly said. “Please tell me you understand how I feel.”

Yen Sid had his arms crossed and inhaled deeply, hunching his shoulders up as he kept a frown on his face. And then he let out an exhale while he closed his eyes. “Be extremely careful, your highness.”

Aqua raised her eyebrows, surprised that Yen Sid had actually conceded to her wishes. She nodded at him, and then made her way to the armory, where she got outfitted in her own custom-forged armor—silver and gold-plated steel that covered most of her body. She carefully took the crown off of her head and replaced it with a shining steel helmet. Then she made her way out to the stables to join her guard.

“Aqua!” 

It was Ven who had called her name, and Aqua turned to face him, leaving the helmet’s visor up.

“What are you doing here?” Ven asked, with a furrow of his brow. “We were supposed to get the horses ready for the guard…but they won’t tell us why.”

Aqua looked down and sighed. Then she carefully told Ven, “Terra is missing. There’s been an accident. I’m going to find him.”

Ven gasped, his eyes going wide and the color leaving his face. “Terra… he’s missing? Is he hurt?”

“I don’t know, Ven…”

Ven swallowed and then resolutely folded his hands into fists. “Let me go with you, Aqua!”

Aqua frowned. “No. Ven…I can’t let you go out there—“

“I’ve been training! I can handle it!”

Aqua sighed. “People were killed, Ven. And one of those people might be King Eraqus! And it’s raining—I’m not letting you go out there!"

“But you’re going!” Ven protested as he walked after Aqua, who was walking towards the horse that was prepared for her—sword, bow, and quiver included.

“Because I have to,” Aqua responded to Ven. She finally lowered the visor on her helmet and got onto her steed. She glanced down at Ven, who had his face creased in both frustration and sadness. “Ven, don’t worry. I’m going to bring Terra home.”

Yen Sid had followed the guard out to the castle gates, meanwhile Zack led the company on his own horse. He still looked exhausted, but his wounds were bandaged. 

“Best to leave right away,” Yen Sid told Aqua. “May the stars protect and guide you.”

IV.

Aqua and her company followed Zack, who quickly rode on the path that King Eraqus and Terra had taken. Aqua tried to steady her breathing as her anxiety grew. They rode against a whipping rain, made stronger by the wind that accompanied the dark clouds. Aqua couldn’t understand how such a storm formed, especially when the day had been beautiful and sunny earlier when Terra had left.

“We’re almost there!” Zack called out to the company.

Aqua looked around the dark, rain-soaked forest and tried to look for Terra. As she observed the ground, she noticed large black marks in the dirt. Then there was a glowing light ahead of her. What she first thought were twinkling lanterns turned out to be the lingering flames and embers of a fiery attack. 

It was then that she saw the scorched and burned pile of wood that was King Eraqus’ grand carriage flipped over. Its windows and wheels were broken and the vehicle looked like a burned, battered toy.

“King Eraqus!” Zack called out as he got off of his steed. “Queen Aqua is here!”

Aqua saw the dark-haired King sitting slumped in the scorched grass against the carriage, hand clutched to his abdomen. When she got off of her horse and approached him—she could see more clearly now that he was covered in lacerations and soot, and the hand on his abdomen was drenched in red from his own blood, which vividly stained the front of his white robe.

“King Eraqus…” Aqua gasped. She walked up to him quickly and knelt down beside him.

King Eraqus turned his head to look at her and gave her a weak smile. “Princess—I mean, Queen Aqua…”

Aqua swallowed, and took his free hand in hers. “King Eraqus, are you alright? Perhaps we can—“

The King shook his head and coughed violently. “Queen Aqua…I don’t have much time. But… Terra…”

“Where is Terra?!” Aqua asked.

“There was a great animal… with wings… And fire—so much fire!”

Aqua furrowed her brow. “King Eraqus, you’re not making any sense. What happened to Terra?”

“Terra…” King Eraqus struggled to continue speaking. “Terra is… “

“Please tell me he’s not—“ Aqua covered her mouth with a hand to stifle a sob.

“Taken.”

“Taken?” Aqua echoed. “But he’s alive? Did you see who it was? Who took him?”

King Eraqus frowned. “It was some kind of supernatural creature. Not like any animal I’ve ever seen before. Dark sorcery, no doubt.”

“I’ll find this creature then—and I’ll destroy it. I will find Terra and I will bring him home! I promise.” Aqua held King Eraqus’ hand with both of hers and she gently smiled.

King Eraqus weakly smiled back at her. “Aqua… I would have liked very much… to have you as a daughter-in-law.” 

He had whispered this before exhaling his last breath, then dropped his head to the side. His eyes did not completely shut, but they remained perfectly still.

“King Eraqus!” Aqua cried out. His hand was limp in hers, and it grew cold. She gasped and stood up, holding back the sob in her throat.

The rain had calmed down by now, but it made no difference when Aqua’s face became wet with her own tears. She wiped her eyes and glanced down at the ground—but then something shining caught her eye. Aqua knelt down and reached for the shining object in the grass. When she realized what it was, she let out a gasp.

“Queen Aqua, what is it?” Zack asked as he quickly limped over to her.

“Terra…!” Aqua stood up stared at the star-shaped charm in her hand. It was the amber and wire necklace she had made and given Terra all those years ago. 

_If he had been wearing it, does it mean that it was ripped off of him at some point? Or maybe if he was angry with me, he might have taken it off out of spite. I hope this doesn’t mean that he was—_

“The king!” another guard had shouted. 

Zack turned around and finally saw King Eraqus’ body. “Oh no…”

“The King is dead,” that same guard announced. The rest of the company knelt down in reverence. Aqua decided to follow suit, and held Terra’s charm to her chest.

When Aqua stood up and saw the wounded guards being tended to and the grieving guards’ distress over their lost King, she felt so helpless. She couldn’t have expected or imagined all of this happening on a simple journey back home. 

And the worst part was that she didn’t even know if Terra was okay. Tears threatened to escape her eyes again.

“We have to find Terra,” Aqua told Zack, who was still standing next to her. “We can track him, right?”

“Your highness…” Zack started in an uncomfortable, yet sympathetic, tone.

“It’s what you do, isn’t it? You guards…you find people! You protect them! Surely we can figure out a way to track Terra down!”

“Queen Aqua, we must get you home first,” interjected Rainfell’s Captain of the Guard, Aeleus. This is no condition for you to go on a search and rescue mission, unequipped and unprepared!”

“But Terra is out there, missing! He could be hurt,” Aqua argued. “I can’t just not look for him!”

“Well, you won’t be much use to him if you get sick with a cold and fever first! Queen Aqua, I insist you return to the castle,” Aeleus sternly replied.

“We can’t waste any time!” Aqua held the charm tight in her hand. She glanced around, her heart beating fast while her anxiety caused her eyes to get misty. “Don’t any of you want to go after Prince Terra?

The entire company, including Anachór’s guard, was silent. 

“We do!” Zack finally interjected, placing a comforting hand on Aqua’s armor-plated shoulder. “But… Look at us, your highness. We’re not in any shape to be forming a search party in the rain. We need to recover our strength. And we need to take King Eraqus’ body home to be buried. Along with the others who fell…” Zack exhaled a tired sigh.

Aqua glanced down at the ground. She didn’t know if her hands were going numb from the rain, the cold, or the dread she felt in her heart.

“Believe me, I wish I could find him too! But if we go after him in the rain unprepared for what we’re dealing with and with no leads to where Terra may have been taken, it wouldn’t help our prince if we got lost, too.”

Aqua was quiet for a long while. But she ultimately had to agree with Zack.

“Okay. We can take King Eraqus and the others back to Rainfell for now,” Aqua quietly told him. “My kingdom will take care of you all. Our alliance still stands.”

The guard companies from both Rainfell and Anachór began to prepare to transport King Eraqus and the bodies of his fallen guard. One of Terra’s personal guards, Angeal, was among those who perished. 

While she was helping some of the wounded, Aqua noticed Zack, Tifa, and Cloud huddled in an embrace. Zack had been standing tall and remained brave and confident this whole time—but it seemed like this was the moment he finally let himself break down. He was slumped on the ground, holding on to Cloud and Tifa and sobbing, as if he couldn’t support himself otherwise.

Aqua felt a tight pain in her chest. It wasn’t just her tragedy, and many others had lost someone they dearly cared for today. Anachór lost its king. And it might end up losing its prince, too.

This morning, Aqua was already worried that she had lost Terra. But if she ended up losing Terra like this, it would feel like the world had truly ended. She didn’t want to believe it. Not yet.

_Terra…_ Aqua thought as she glanced at the charm in her hand. _Please be alive!_  
  
  


V.

When Terra woke up, he could tell that he was lying on stone and his body ached. When he opened his eyes, he only saw darkness in the cloudy evening sky above him. With a grunt, he brought himself onto his elbows and blinked his eyes to properly look around him.

Terra didn’t remember falling asleep and he couldn’t recognize where he was at all. It was dark, but lanterns illuminated what looked like a small castle, though it was crumbling and looked like it had been abandoned for years. There were trees surrounding the castle and the pond, with a lot of moss and overgrowth of plants obscuring every structure. Terra was sitting on the ground right next to the edge of the pond.

Terra winced as he felt a soreness at his temple, and then he gasped as he finally remembered what happened. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious were the flames that threatened to consume both him and King Eraqus. He had a feeling that the pain on his head and his blackout were connected.

“So, you’re finally awake,” a gruff voice called out.

Terra stood up quickly as he saw a man approach him. The man was old, bald, and wearing black clothes that befitted a person of high rank, but Terra didn’t recognize him. What was most disturbing about this man apart from the curling smirk on his face were his golden yellow eyes. He was standing hunched over, with his hands behind his back.

“Who are you?” Terra asked as he readied his fists at his sides. “What did you do to me? Where is my father?”

“The King? King Eraqus is gone,” the old man replied with a chuckle.

Terra glared at him, growing angry. “What do you mean?!”

“Dead.” The man curled his thin mouth into a sinister grin and Terra shuddered in disgust and horror.

_It couldn’t be. King Eraqus… my father… he couldn’t be…!_

“No!” Terra cried.

“It’s true,” the old man replied. “I killed him myself.”

“Why?!” Terra shouted.

“He needed to be taken out of his seat of power.”

Terra felt himself grow cold despite the sweat forming on his brow and his stomach turned on itself. His hands were shaking and his heart pounded in his chest. This couldn’t be real.

“Then why keep me alive?” Terra struggled to say this with a steady voice. “I’m next in line for the throne—why didn’t you kill me, too?”

“Because you are going to be useful in getting me power,” the old man replied.

Terra creased his brow in confusion. “What?”

“It’ll take some time, as my plans had to change—but you shall do, as the assistant to my victory,” Xehanort told Terra with a smug grin.

Terra kept a fierce stare on the old man. “You’ll be dead before I help you do anything!” He barreled towards the man, ready to strike him with his bare fists.

“Not so fast!” The old man’s hand had become consumed in a purple flame and he thrust his palm out as if to attack Terra.

Terra couldn’t even register what happened in the flash it took for him to go from charging towards this man to falling face-first onto the ground.

But it wasn’t his face that he fell onto. 

And instead of catching himself on his hands, only pure white wings fanned out where his arms should have been.

The old man cackled to himself as he stared at Terra. He looked much bigger now and towered over Terra, like a giant.

Terra clumsily ambled as he walked away from the old man, glancing down to see the downy feathers and the dark webbed feet of a swan—his body no longer there.

_No! What have you done?! Did you turn me into… a swan?!_

Terra tried to speak but found that his mouth was a beak and only inhuman noises could come out of it.

“I will leave you in this form, Prince Terra. Until I have what I desire.” The old man sinisterly grinned. “And then you will be powerless to stop me from taking control of Anachór!”

_You monster!_ Terra tried to scream, but it came out as a squawk.

The old man chuckled as he knelt and hovered close to Terra. “And since we’ll be spending a lot of time together from now on, it’s only fair that you learn my name: Xehanort.”

Terra glared up at Xehanort, who was still smiling. Even though it was all he could do and wouldn’t likely do much damage, Terra launched off of his stocky swan legs and jumped up to bite the old man’s nose with his beak.

“Ahh!” Xehanort recoiled, and then he sent a dark stare at Terra. “You’re lucky that I need you alive, Prince Terra. For now, at least…!”

With a sinister chuckle, Xehanort turned around and stalked off into the woods.

+

Terra had no idea what to do. His father, King Eraqus, was dead, it was likely that no one even knew where Terra was taken, and even if they did, now he was a swan! What if he never got to change back to normal?

In a panic, Terra ran into the pond and thought about Rainfell—the castle was connected to all the streams in the region, maybe if he followed one of them, he could go back to Rainfell and find Aqua and—and what if Aqua was in danger now?

Terra swam in the water at an anxious speed, not knowing where to turn and thinking in circles about what he could possibly do in his transformed state to get help or return to his own kingdom without anyone thinking he was merely a swan.

But the more he thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed that anything he did would help—and he finally slowed down and floated in the water, thinking to himself that if he had just stayed at Rainfell and confronted Aqua instead of running away, none of this would have happened. King Eraqus might have still been alive.

As a tear streamed out of Terra’s eye, it surprised him to find that swans had the ability to cry. Or perhaps it was just because he was magically transformed. Regardless, Terra wept for a long while as he floated in the water, curled into a corner of the pond beneath a willow tree. 

“Hey there!” Terra heard a squeaky voice call out.

“You’re new, huh?” a second squeaky voice added.

Terra brought his head up and glanced around the water. “Who’s there?”

Just then, two small chipmunks agilely climbed down a sturdy line of leaves hanging from the willow tree and they appeared in front of Terra, looking cheerful.

“I’m Chip!” the one with the brown nose said.

“And I’m Dale!” answered the one with a red nose.

Terra glanced at the chipmunks with astonishment—he could understand them—and they could understand him!

“You can hear what I’m saying? You understand me?” Terra asked.

“Of course!” Dale answered. “What’s your name?”

“Terra,” Terra replied in a quiet voice.

“Nice to meet you, Terra!” Dale cheerfully replied.

“Terra, you seem so sad…” Chip remarked. “We heard you crying, so we came to check if you were okay.”

“I’m not okay,” Terra replied as he glanced down at the water. “Look at me—I’m a swan!”

“I think swans are pretty,” Dale chimed in.

“That’s not the point! I’m supposed to be a human,” Terra replied. “I was turned into a swan by this evil man—Xehanort, I think his name was?”

“The creepy bald dude who skulks around this pond all the time?” Chip asked.

“Yeah!” Terra answered. “I’m a prince and he killed my father, the King of Anachór.”

“Oh no!” Chip and Dale remarked in unison.

“I have to find a way to turn back into a human or go home! The Queen of Rainfell might be in danger.” 

Terra felt anxious. Where they had been attacked wasn’t too far from the castle in Rainfell. The evil man might also be plotting to harm Aqua.

“Well, maybe we can help you!” Chip offered.

“You can? How?” Terra asked.

“Well, we’ve been stuck here for a long time, too,” Dale added. “We got separated from our King, Mickey!”

“King Mickey… What Kingdom are you from?” Terra asked.

“King Mickey’s Kingdom, of course!” Dale responded. 

Terra didn’t think to press further on the subject, even though that didn’t exactly answer his question…

“Were you humans, too?” Terra asked the chipmunks.

Dale giggled and nearly fell from the line of leaves he was crawling on.

“No! But… we think our King might have disappeared because of that old evil man, too!” Chip explained.

_So animals have their own kingdoms? Okay…_ Terra mused to himself, wondering if this all wasn’t part of some bizarre dream or nightmare he got himself into.

“So we’ve been trying to figure out if we could learn anything by staying here and investigating,” Chip continued.

Dale glanced down and sighed. “But we haven’t found any clues for months…”

“If only we could read those old man’s human books,” Chip offered. “He has to learn his magic from somewhere!”

“Well…I can read!” Terra offered. 

“You’d go with us to try and find his spellbook?” Dale asked, excitedly hopping up on another branch.

Terra did what he thought was a smile in his swan form. “Of course! It might also help me, too, if we could find his books.”

“All right! It’s a plan!” Chip announced. Dale cheered alongside him.

Terra smiled again. At least, despite everything…there was still hope. Even if he found it in two random chipmunks!

VI.

That night, Aqua couldn’t get to sleep and every other hour, she thought about how quietly she could put on her armor and sneak out to get a horse. She knew that yesterday they had no choice, as her guard company had to help take care of the dead and wounded, and they were unprepared. But she couldn’t stop worrying about Terra. It made her stomach turn in knots.

Terra was a skilled fighter and he was very strong, but the way King Eraqus described this thing that took him… Aqua had heard stories about monsters, stories that she believed were only legends—but even her own parents perished in an accident with no apparent cause. There were dark, unnatural things out there in this world and she had been fortunate enough to be sheltered from them. But because she was sheltered, she was not equipped to truly know what she was dealing with.

As soon as the sun rose, Aqua pushed herself to get out of bed and started preparing to search after Terra. She couldn’t wait any longer.

Aqua quietly made her way through the castle corridors being careful not to alert any of the guards—most of whom had been taken off duty to tend to Anachór’s fallen, and the rest were posted around the castle. When Aqua got close to the armory, she heard a man groan from a chamber down the hall, and it sounded as if he was shushed by a softer voice.

“It’s alright, just go back to sleep,” the soft, sweet voice said.

Aqua stopped and edged closer to the door, which was left a bit ajar. She peeked through the open space and saw Captain Zack Fair lying in a bed, bandaged up. There was a young, brown-haired woman in the room with him. She was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Zack and it looked like she was redressing his wounds.

“Aerith…or an angel?” Zack asked in a drowsy voice, bringing a hand up to cup her face.

“I’m glad you can still joke,” Aerith replied as she put a hand up over Zack’s. “I was so worried. I was told you had come back all bloody and limping, and you didn’t even send word to the village to let me know!”

Her voice was still soft, but she sounded grumpy.

Zack made a creaking sound in his throat. “…I…”

“I know. You were doing your duty.” The girl ran a hand through the strands of hair across his forehead and gently left her palm on his head. “But next time, at least give me an update so I know you’re alive!”

“I’m sorry I made you worry, Aerith,” Zack quietly told her.

“You don’t have to apologize, but thank you,” Aerith told him.

Zack shook his head. “No, really—I make you worry too much. You deserve better. Can’t believe you came all this way at the crack of dawn just to take care of a clown like me…”

Aerith shook her head this time. “You might be a clown...but I would travel any distance just to make sure you were all right.”

“I love you,” Zack replied in a sigh, gently smiling up at her.

“I love you, too.”

Aqua quietly edged away from the room, blushing. She felt like she was intruding on an intimate moment, but… when she heard Zack and Aerith talking to each other like this—she couldn’t help but think about Terra and how she wished she could find him. How she wished they could have a conversation just like this, to softly joke with him again while letting him know how much she cared about him. Aqua envied the tenderness she just witnessed.

“Oh! Is that the Queen?” Aqua recognized that voice as Zack’s. 

“Queen Aqua?” It was Aerith who had come to the doorway and addressed Aqua. 

Aqua began to sweat and blushed at being caught eavesdropping. Aqua also noticed that she had never met Aerith before, and she was taken aback by how beautiful this young lady was.

_She has such pretty green eyes..._

“Oh—hi! I’m… sorry, if I disturbed you,” Aqua awkwardly replied.

“You didn’t. I was just tending to my husb—I mean, Captain Fair’s wounds. My name is Aerith. I’m pleased to meet you, your highness.” Aerith did a quick curtsy, catching the skirt of her white and pink dress.

Aqua warmly smiled at her and did her own curtsy, even though she wasn’t wearing a skirt. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Aerith.”

Aerith smiled back at her. Then Zack hobbled up and appeared right next to her, looking at Aqua with concern.

“Queen Aqua, don’t tell me you’re going out to look for Terra right now…”

Aqua glanced at the ground. “I… I have to find him.”

“Then… let me come with you,” Zack offered.

“You’re not in any condition to go out there!” Aerith protested as she pressed a palm onto his chest.

“I will go with my own guard, Captain Fair,” Aqua explained. “You get some rest!”

Zack glanced down with a purse of his lips. “…Fine.”

Aqua gave him a sympathetic smile. “Captain Fair, there’s no need to worry about me.”

“It’s not that… I just…wish I could go after him, too.” Zack kept a pout on his mouth.

Aqua sadly looked at him. “You’re his best friend, too, aren’t you?”

“After you, your highness,” Zack told her with a grin.

“Well, I’ll do my best to find him. And I won’t stop looking for him until I do.” Aqua gently smiled at him. “Rest up, Captain Fair.”

Zack nodded. “As you wish, your highness! But…call me Zack! You said a friend of Terra’s is a friend of yours, right? Well, friends can go on a first name basis.”

“Zack… Okay!” Aqua smiled. “Then you can call me Aqua.”

Aerith was smiling at the both of them, then she turned to Aqua. “Queen Aqua, I know what it’s like to worry about a person you love going missing and how easy it could be to lose hope. But no matter what anyone tells you, you must always trust your heart above anything else.”

Aqua smiled at her. “Thank you, Aerith.”

+

Aqua left Zack and Aerith to go put on her armor, and then she gathered her guard members. The grey clouds from the day before had mostly cleared up and the sun was shining. 

Aqua was just about to leave with her company when Yen Sid appeared before her at the castle gates. He looked...less than happy with the furrow of his great, bushy eyebrows.

“Queen Aqua, you cannot go rushing off to search for Prince Terra without a clue of where to find him—and in your state of such—”

“Such what?” Aqua said with a narrow of her eyes.

“Emotional distress.”

Aqua glared at Yen Sid. “I’m emotionally distressed because something or someone who killed King Eraqus took Terra! I need to find him as soon as possible!”

“Aqua!” Yen Sid had shouted this time, and the lack of an honorific surprised Aqua.

“If you leave your Kingdom, who will protect it in your stead?”

“You can,” she shortly replied.

“Aqua.”

“No—I’m tired of customs and thrones and alliances and marriages!” Aqua had tears shining in her eyes now. “The coronation ruined everything good between me and Terra. It’s the reason he left Rainfell! And now he’s been taken by some creature! He could be hurt and he’s all alone and—“ Aqua covered her mouth with her hand, trying to contain the sob as she thought about Terra. 

Yen Sid’s look at Aqua softened.

When she felt calm enough to continue, Aqua finally said, “I don’t want to be a queen if it means that I can’t protect the most important person to me.”

“You don’t have a choice, Aqua,” Yen Sid replied. “You are the rightful Queen of Rainfell. No one else can take your place.”

“Then Rainfell won’t have a queen. It survived nearly twenty years without one, anyway.” Aqua drew the reins of the horse she was perched on top of, and it softly nickered.

Yen Sid walked up to Aqua’s horse as it began to walk, and stopped them. “Aqua, I understand your concern for Prince Terra, but what about the funeral for King Eraqus? What about the absence of a ruler in Anachór? We have a responsibility not only to Rainfell, but to the citizens of Anachór, too.”

Aqua glanced down at her hands. “I promised King Eraqus I would bring Terra back. That seems more important than taking days to travel to a funeral just to look at a dead body. I would do more tribute to King Eraqus’ memory and to the alliance with Anachór by looking for Terra.”

“Aqua… even if you find Terra, King Eraqus is dead.” Yen Sid crossed his arms. “It means that Terra will be the next King of Anachór. But until we confirm he is alive, the throne of Anachór is empty. Our alliance is even more contingent upon—“

“Can we save all this talk for after I find Terra?” Aqua drew the reins again and her horse began to move in a slow canter, the rest of her guard following.

The search party embarked upon the northern road, in the direction of Anachór, the same path that King Eraqus took the day before.

But little did Aqua know... that was exactly what Xehanort wanted Rainfell to do—so that any search party they sent would go in the wrong direction and get even further from finding Terra.  
  
  


VII.

Terra spent his first night as a swan curled up at the stump of the willow tree, where his new chipmunk friends, Chip and Dale, kept him company. When he woke up the next morning, he felt a twinge of defeat in his heart because he was still a swan. He found it easy to move in this new body, but it was strange and uncomfortable more than anything.

“Good morning Terra! Would you like some breakfast?” Chip asked once he saw that Terra was awake.

“We have a store of nuts!” Dale eagerly announced.

“Well… I do like nuts,” Terra replied with a tilt of his head.

Chip and Dale grinned at him. “Yay!”

Terra tried to eat, but found it very hard with his swan teeth (or the lack thereof) to crunch the nuts that Chip and Dale had given him.

“I’m sorry… I just can’t bite these nuts,” Terra said with a dejected glance. His stomach growled.

“Hmm… well you’re a swan, so maybe you have to eat things that are in the water!” Chip offered.

“We could always ask Donald to give us some tips,” Dale suggested.

“Donald?” Terra asked.

“Yeah—Hey, Donald! Goofy! Where are ya two! Hellooooooo!” Dale was so loud that he was causing nearby animals to scatter from the trees and the grass.

Then a short, little white duck came sauntering from the tall grass. “Hey, what’s the big idea? I was still sleeping!”

“Did someone call me?” asked a turtle that slowly came drifting from the center of the pond. 

Terra looked at both of these creatures and figured that maybe he could communicate with all animals now.

“Good mornin’ to you too!” Chip replied. “Donald—we need your help, we have a new friend—his name is Terra!”

The duck looked over at Terra with a squint in his eyes. “And?”

Dale crossed his arms. “And… we need help figuring out what he can eat for breakfast!”

“Why do you need me to do that? Can’t this buffoon help himself?”

“Donald! That’s no way to treat a new friend!” It was the turtle that had chastised the duck and he climbed up on shore, looking at Terra with a grin on his turtle face. 

“Pleased to meet ya, Terra! My name’s Goofy!”

Terra did his best to smile at him. “Hi Goofy! Nice to meet you.”

“And this ol’ grump here is Donald, a’hyuck!” Goofy chuckled as he turned to Donald, who was still frowning at Terra.

“Hi Donald,” Terra tentatively called out.

Donald simply ‘hmmph’ed and answered, “Did you hit your head or something? Why would you need anyone’s help to figure out what to eat for breakfast?”

Terra swallowed nervously. “Well… I… I’ve never been a swan before. I’m a prince—I’m human!”

Donald was silent for a few seconds, and then he burst out into a boisterous laugh and continued to laugh and roll around on the ground at this. Terra didn’t know if swans could blush, but he felt all the blood rush to his face as if he were blushing.

“A prince?” Goofy asked. “Well, we have a king named Mickey! You know him?”

“Uh—no, I don’t—I’m a human prince. My father is—or was… the King of Anachór. This evil man Xehanort put a spell on me and turned me into—“

“You’re joking, aren’t you?” Donald asked, finally calm enough to talk without laughing.

Terra frowned. “I’m telling the truth!”

“He really is!” Chip added.

“How would you know?” Donald sneered.

“Because we believe Terra!” Dale argued. “And that creepy man Xehanort has to be behind our King’s disappearance, too.”

Donald was quiet again, but still frowning. “Even if it is true… what do you expect me to do about it?”

“Well, you’re a duck, so swans probably eat the same thing, right?” Chip asked.

Donald groaned. “I guess!”

“Aww, Donald, we can help him find food!” Goofy offered. “Mister Terra, we’d gladly help you forage for some delicious food.”

“You will?” Terra asked, hope shining in his eyes.

Goofy cleared his throat and looked at Donald.

“Ohhhhh… ALL RIGHT!” Donald bitterly said.

“Donald, it’s okay,” Terra started. “I don’t need you to—“

“I said I’d help so I’m gonna!” Donald argued.

Terra’s eyes widened. “Oh—okay…”

Donald and Goofy helped Terra forage underwater for pondweed and grass, and showed him how to forage for insects and worms on the banks. It was very unnatural for Terra, but found that surprisingly he didn’t want to hurl after eating the grass or bugs.

He flashed back to the time that he dared Aqua to eat a worm—and she hadn’t done it, of course—but he had felt so proud about doing it because he had finally ‘beat’ her at something.

_Aqua… If only you could hear that I was out here eating bugs again,_ Terra fondly thought with an internal laugh.

But then he felt his heart sink as he thought about how much he missed Aqua, and how he might never see her again if he never got himself out of this bizarre situation.

“You okay, Terra?” Goofy asked, breaking Terra from his lamenting reverie.

“Yeah—Thank you Donald and Goofy—for helping me find food!” Terra replied with a graceful bow of his head.

“You’re welcome,” Donald said, almost begrudgingly.

“Aww, admit it Donald—it was fun looking for stuff together!” Goofy said as he twirled in the water around his duck friend.

+

The rest of that day, Terra got a full tour of the pond and the nearby forest grounds—but the whole time he was with his new animal friends, he worried that Xehanort could come back at any moment. 

In the afternoon, Terra focused on getting used to his swan body and learning how to fly—in case that might be the only way he got home. He never really made it more than a few gliding hops, but he was making longer glides by the time the sun had set.

Unfortunately, that was also the time that Xehanort returned to the pond.

“Prince Terra, where are you?” The old man stalked across the stone of the pond’s edge.

Terra was reluctant to reveal himself, hidden behind the leaves of the willow tree.

“I know you’re here. It’s not as if there is anywhere you would go as a swan,” Xehanort cackled.

Terra stepped forward from the willow tree’s trunk with a defiant frown on his face—well, as much of one as he could make in a swan body.

When Xehanort looked at Terra, he softly chuckled. “My, my… even in that state you give me such a stare.”

Terra was silent. Not that it would have even mattered if he had tried to talk back.

“Allow me to show you something, now that the moon has given us light once more.” Xehanort glanced up to the sky with a smile on his face.

Terra didn’t trust him. He kept his distance.

“Get in the water, boy,” Xehanort told him.

Terra didn’t budge.

Xehanort grumpily stomped over to him and picked him up, despite Terra’s flapping and biting at his hands. Xehanort chuckled and then unceremoniously tossed Terra’s swan body into the pond.

Terra was able to land clumsily but still remain upright—and once he looked up at the moon, completely full and unobscured by clouds now, he felt the light from the moon engulf him and the water began to swirl around him with a mystical glow.

The moonlight had grown so bright around Terra that he couldn’t see anything, but he felt all his limbs stretch involuntarily. But it felt good to do so, like he was releasing tension in his muscles! And then he felt a sudden heaviness throughout his body and the light subsided. He was standing in the water, and he felt fully grounded. Terra looked down to see his chest, and all his regular human limbs. After staring at his hands and assuring they were actually there with a light flex, he brought them up to feel at his face—thankfully to now find soft lips where a hard beak was.

Terra whipped his head to look at Xehanort. “What just happened?”

“You will revert to your human form if—and only if—you return to this lake under the moonlight,” Xehanort explained. He brought up his index finger in an exaggerated gesture. “But! It will only last as long as the moon light shines from the sky. Once the moon sets, you will become a swan once more.”

“…Why would you show me this?” Terra made fists with his hands and prepared for this man to attack him. It might be a trick.

“Because it’s only temporary, boy.” Xehanort smirked as he put his hands behind his back. “To show you that this is the only way that you will become human again. Unless you come back here to the pond underneath moonlight, you will remain a swan, cursed until the end of time.”

Terra scoffed. “How do I know you’re not just lying and the curse isn’t already broken? Then I could easily escape from you.”

“Go ahead, try to run if you don’t believe me,” Xehanort nonchalantly told him.

Terra narrowed his eyes at the old man. “What do you even want with me? Why are you keeping me alive? Why turn me into a swan?”

“You need to learn to ask one question at a time,” Xehanort said with a frown. Then he cleared his throat. “To answer your latter question, casting the swan lake curse upon you ensures that even if you run away from here—you will become a swan and you cannot warn anyone of your plight.”

“Okay…assuming that’s even true, what the hell do you want with me?” Terra sneered. “You killed my father, King Eraqus, and you said you want power. So what do you need me for?

“Your life is highly valuable. There are a number of things I can use it for—while you still have it.” Xehanort smirked at Terra. “And I suppose I could make an attack on Anachór, wage some war, and usurp the seat of power… but the public would be in constant rebellion for years and I would have to take the kingdom by force—it would be exhausting! My plan would save time and lives.” 

Tera didn’t know how far he was from Rainfell, but if he could make a run for it, maybe he could get back in time to let Aqua know what happened. She might still be mad at him, but…this was more important.

Xehanort chuckled. “I can see the wheels turning in your head, Prince Terra. What is it you think you can do?”

Terra clenched his fists and walked toward Xehanort. “You expect me to just stay here and be your prisoner?”

Xehanort chuckled again. “So you’re going to run? Go ahead. I will fetch you in the morning.”

Terra cautiously stared at him as he stepped around him, eyeing his path to freedom.

“Go on! I won’t stop you,” Xehanort told Terra with a grin.

Terra didn’t trust him, but he had to take this opening. He ran off in a sprint through the forest and didn’t stop for a very long time, even when he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had to try and get back to Rainfell—or to anyone who would listen to him—before the sun came up.

When the sky began to turn purple, and then lilac, Terra began to panic. He was finally in view of the first town he came across since leaving the forest, but no matter the distance Terra traveled and despite pushing past his exhaustion, the clock caught up with him. 

With the sunrise, a flash of light engulfed Terra and he felt his limbs contort and bend uncomfortably. He couldn’t feel anything for a second, and then he glanced down to see webbed feet and white plumage. He was a swan again.

“What did I tell you?”

Terra flinched in his swan form and turned around quickly, almost tripping over his own feet. He glanced up to see Xehanort with a wicked grin on his face. Terra couldn’t even imagine how Xehanort had caught up to him so fast.

Xehanort bent down and moved to grab Terra around his sides. Immediately, Terra bit Xehanort’s hand.

Xehanort growled and tightened his grip on Terra. “If you struggle, you will only make this worse for yourself! And then I might not have the patience to keep you alive, Swan Prince.”

Terra calmed down as Xehanort carried him away, though he began to shed tears out of anger and exhaustion. 

How was he ever going to break this curse and go home?

  
  


VIII.

Aqua and her guard company searched for nearly a week in the forests between northern Rainfell and southern Anachór, following anything they could find that looked like a large animal’s or a human’s tracks. But the tracks led to nothing significant, and no matter how thoroughly they searched and questioned nearby travelers, there was no trace of Terra.

Aqua was dejected, but she knew her only choice was to return to Rainfell. Anachór had agreed to postpone the funeral for King Eraqus to give Rainfell time to send out a search party, but too many days had passed to have a reasonable cause for putting it off any longer. King Eraqus’ body needed to be transported and laid to rest in Anachór.

Aqua accepted that King Eraqus’ funeral took precedence, but she could not accept that everyone seemed to take the search’s lack of results as proof that Terra was dead. As soon as the search party returned to Rainfell Castle, Aqua ordered her guard company to prepare for another search, one that might take more than a week if necessary.

“But Queen Aqua… there is no more search,” Captain Aeleus replied.

“Excuse me?” Aqua said with a raise of her eyebrow.

“It’s just… there are no other leads, Queen Aqua,” added Dilan, the guard company's second-in-command. “If Prince Terra was not found anywhere between the road from Rainfell to Anachór, then…he could be anywhere! He could be at the bottom of the sea, for all we know!”

Aqua felt her blood boil. She narrowed her eyes at Dilan. “He’s not dead. Not yet.”

Dilan lowered his eyes. “I apologize, my Queen, but… without any trace of the Prince, it’s not likely we will ever find him if we continue on this way.”

Aqua swallowed before composing herself, then she sat up tall on her horse and addressed the entire company. “We may not have found Prince Terra yet, but we also haven’t found proof that he is dead. The search will continue.”

“Your highness, that’s impractical!“ Aeleus protested. “As the Captain of your Guard—“

“No more discussion,” Aqua interrupted. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll move into Rainfell’s eastern provinces and search for Terra. We’ll search the entire kingdom if we have to—until we uncover every inch, all the way to the coast and back to the castle.”

Ven was at the stables, where Aqua had given this order, and he meekly went up to Aqua after she dismounted her horse.

“Aqua…?”

Aqua glanced at Ven and did her best to soften her face and give him a smile. “Sorry you had to hear all that, Ven.”

“You really think…Terra is still alive?”

Aqua nodded. “I haven’t seen evidence to the contrary. And we only went searching for a week. He’s out there… I know it!”

Ven looked down toward his shoes. “I… hope he’s okay.”

“Oh, Ven…!” Aqua dropped her weapons and rushed forward to hug him close to her.

“I never even got to say goodbye to him,” Ven whimpered.

Aqua stroked his hair. “Ven, I’m going to find Terra… If it’s the last thing I do.”

+

That night, as Aqua was preparing to attempt to sleep early, Yen Sid made a visit to her chambers. He didn’t previously announce it, so Aqua was annoyed at the sight of him at her door.

“I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but it is of extreme importance that we meet prior to the morning,” Yen Sid told her.

“What is it?” Aqua asked.

“You cannot take your search party tomorrow,” Yen Sid replied as he moved into her room and closed the door.

Aqua gave him an angry stare. “I’m the Queen of Rainfell. You have no authority—”

“With all due respect your highness,” Yen Sid interrupted, “It is my duty to inform you of when you’ve made a terrible decision that could place your country in jeopardy.”

Aqua scoffed.

“Aqua…” Yen Sid had his eyes lowered in what Aqua might dare to say was a sad expression. “There have been whispers throughout the castle and the village, among the courts of both Rainfell and Anachór that… Rainfell has an unstable queen. They are questioning whether you are fit for the role, and whether a coronation wasn’t performed too soon.”

“King Eraqus was murdered! Terra was kidnapped! I think rescuing Terra takes priority over anything else I need to be doing!” Aqua crossed her arms and huffed, “What kind of _queenly behavior_ would they like to see instead?”

Yen Sid sighed. “Aqua…you have to stay in Rainfell and lead. Anachór is without a ruler, with its heir missing—an heir who was not exactly legitimate in the first place.”

Aqua narrowed her eyes. “What does that have to do with anything? Terra is Anachór’s Prince and the rightful King. The most supportive thing I can do for Anachór right now is to find him.”

“Or… someone might use this tragedy as an opportunity to gain leadership of Anachór. If you were to also abandon your post at Rainfell, who would get in their way? What would they have to lose? Aqua, you must use your leadership to prevent this from happening.”

“Look— _I don’t care about any of that right now!_ ” Aqua slammed a fist down on her desk. “Terra’s in danger, and I need to save him! That's it—that's all I need to know or think about! Terra's life matters more than any throne.” 

Aqua was breathing out heavily and and tried to steady herself as she stared down at the desk.

Yen Sid lowered his head. “I understand your feelings, but you need to make an appearance in Anachór, to show the strength of our alliance. Then proceed as you wish. But you need to be a queen first.”

Aqua was quiet for a long time and then she turned towards Yen Sid with a stoic gaze. 

“Send a representative for me. I’ll write something to be read at King Eraqus’ funeral. But I can’t stop searching for Terra. If it needs to be said…Rainfell will only keep its alliance with Anachór as long as Terra is King.”

“Very well. But…in the event that Prince Terra is not found alive—“

“I can’t think of that right now, Yen Sid.” Aqua’s eyes watered. “You were the one who told me to listen to my heart. Well, my heart is telling me to not give up on Terra yet.”

Yen Sid sighed. “Call off the search party and come with me. You need to do some research before searching for Terra.”

Aqua tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Yen Sid crossed his arms. “I had planned to do this myself while you were away to attend King Eraqus’ funeral, but if you are going to stay here, then the least that I can do to assist you is to make sure you don’t waste time in your search for Terra.”

Aqua blinked in confusion. ”You’re…going to help me?”

“Put some shoes on and follow me. Then you will understand.”

+

Yen Sid led Aqua down to the castle library and through a dusty hidden chamber to discover a secret section of the library that she never knew existed. It was cold and dark, though Yen Sid lighted their way with an oil lantern. He used the flame from the lantern to light several more lamps in the dark, dusty chamber.

Aqua was still dressed in her two-piece pajamas, and now wished she had brought a coat for how much colder it was in this secret chamber. Once she could see with the lamplight, Aqua noticed that there were rows of books on shelves locked behind a glass case.

“What are these books?” she asked Yen Sid.

“Books that should only be read in the direst of circumstances—and perhaps, not even then,” he answered. “But you will need one special book if we are to have any chance at finding Prince Terra.”

Aqua watched as Yen Sid took out a special key on a string from his sleeve and opened the case. Then he searched through the rows until he found a thick, dusty book that was a bit tattered and browned at the edges. He dropped the book onto the wooden table in front of Aqua. She looked at the title and made out the words after wiping dust off of the cover.

She gasped, “This is… a book about the history of the Forbidden Arts…? Yen Sid...is this dark magic?”

“Yes. And this book was safeguarded for a reason,” Yen Sid explained. “No one should ever even think of using the Forbidden Arts. _That's why they are called the Forbidden Arts_."

Aqua stared up at him with a crease in her brow. “King Eraqus said he thought that whatever attacked him...it was dark sorcery.”

“Our culprit may not be a creature. It may be a sorcerer,” Yen Sid said.

“But I thought that stuff was only in fairytales!” Aqua exclaimed. “You're telling me that magic— _particularly dark sorcery—_ exists as a real thing in our world?”

“Unfortunately,” Yen Sid sighed. “It is extremely rare that anyone in our day would have access to or knowledge about the Forbidden Arts, but it is possible. Someone targeted King Eraqus that day—if it was simply to oust the royal line of Anachór, Prince Terra should have been found dead next to King Eraqus. I don’t believe he was spared by luck or by his own strength against a fire-breathing creature that was able to kill several in one attack. The very fact that you went to such lengths with your search party and still found no trace of the Prince has led me suspect…that he may still be alive.”

Aqua took all this in with a wide-eyed stare. “So you’re supporting me? You think Terra’s alive?”

“He may be—but if he is the victim of a sorcerer…there’s no telling what harm may come his way—or ours.” Yen Sid tapped the book closed. “Get some sleep.”

Aqua frowned at him.

“You need to sleep so that you can have enough energy to delve into this book tomorrow. You must learn how to track a sorcerer.”

IX.

After a few days of being stuck at the pond and not seeing a single human, Terra lost hope that anyone would find him. Everyone in Anachór and Rainfell probably thought he was dead. But even if they still thought he was alive, he was a swan during the day—how would anyone even think to look for a swan?! 

Terra had tried to run away a few more times, but he never made it far enough before Xehanort either caught up to him or Terra got himself lost—so then he was forced to fly back the way he came in hopes of returning to the pond to become human—and then try again.

When he wasn't trying to make an escape, Terra was still working on how far he could fly. One day he might eventually try to fly a long distance around his current location just to create a map for himself and try to recognize where he was. He had traveled all around Anachór, but the forest and the plains here didn’t look familiar to him at all. Where was he?

"Maybe if I get good enough at flying...I could just fly home!" Terra suggested to his animal friends one afternoon. They were all resting near the willow tree that draped over a corner of the pond.

“How would ya trust the humans to know it was you and not want to put you back in a pond?” Goofy asked Terra. 

“W-well… maybe… I could…I don’t know…” Terra sighed. He had no idea how he could convince anyone he was a prince if he was stuck in his swan form.

“Surely someone out there is looking for you! Maybe you just need to time it right, and lead someone out here, so they can meet you when you’re human!” Chip suggested.

“How would he get someone to come here?” Donald grumbled.

“Well, swans are attractive birds, Donald! Humans like attractive things,” Dale answered.

“Hmmph!” Donald breathed out.

Goofy chuckled. “Aww, don’t be jealous, Donald!”

“I’m not!” Donald squawked.

“But you’re forgetting the most important part!” Chip protested. “Terra can’t go back until he breaks the curse…or else he’ll always be a swan! We have to find a way to break the curse first!”

“Oh yeah,” Dale mumbled.

“Didn’t you say that Xehanort had books?” Terra asked. “Well, where does he keep them? We could just go and read the books when he’s not around…and maybe that will give us our answer!”

“He keeps them locked away in there,” Donald explained as he gestured to the tower. “And there’s a mean ferret that guards his tower while he’s away.”

“A ferret?” Terra scoffed. “Well, I’m sure a little ferret is no match for me!”

Terra glanced to the crumbling tower, ruins of whatever small castle used to be here. In the sunlight, it didn’t look that remarkable.

“Even if we could get in there while Xehanort was away, the door is locked and the window is barred. None of us would be able to sneak in because we're not small enough,” Donald complained.

“You're forgetting about me and Dale!” Chip protested. He turned to Terra. “What if Dale and I were able to get into the tower and give you the book, Terra? We're small enough to get in and out even if it's locked!”

“Can you two…carry a book between the two of you?” Terra asked as he glanced at Chip and Dale.

“Well, we could try!” Dale offered.

“Or we could at least try to unlock the room with the books, so then you, Donald, and Goofy could help out!” Chip added.

Terra grinned. “I think as long as we work as a team, we can do this!” 

He brought his wing up in a high-five gesture and was waiting for the others to high-five him.

“What’s that?” Goofy asked. 

“Oh… well… it’s a high five!” Terra lowered his wing. “Although…I guess since you’re animals, you wouldn’t do high fives, because…you don’t have five…”

“I’ll give ya a high five, Terra!” Chip said as he leaped up to tap Terra’s wing. Dale followed suit. Then Goofy swam over next to Terra and stretched his arm to tap Terra’s wing. 

Terra glanced at Donald. “Well, Donald? You in on this?”

Donald sighed and swam forward, unenthusiastically tapping his wing against Terra’s. “That’s a weird human thing!"

Terra laughed. “Yeah…I guess it is!”

Donald shook his head and Terra could have sworn he saw him crack a smile.

Terra then glanced up at the tower. “Now all we have to do is find the right time to strike.”

“Well, maybe we can do something to get Xehanort to leave and not come back for a while!” Goofy suggested. 

“Is there anything Xehanort would really need that would force him to go very far to get it?” Chip asked.  
  


X.

“You should go to bed, Queen Aqua.”

Aqua raised her head up quickly, and a page from the book she was currently reading stuck to her cheek before falling gently. 

“I’m… still reading!” she told Yen Sid, while wiping a bit of drool off the corner of her mouth.

“Aqua… you’re wearing yourself out.” Yen Sid placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Aqua stretched and sat up straight. She had done nothing for two days except delve into the books of this secret chamber, only leaving to eat and use the bathroom. 

“I think I’m finally getting close,” she said. “I decided to get a book from the regular library to read up on Anachór’s history, see if there was any record of anyone ever using the Forbidden Arts in that kingdom or if there was any history of tension… but… Anachór is a country that was at war…a lot, huh?”

Yen Sid raised a brow. “Well… it didn’t gain a reputation as the most fortified kingdom on this side of the world for nothing. King Eraqus was a warrior king, and he trained Terra to be one as well.”

“Terra… he’s going to have to run a country like that?” Aqua sleepily mused. “They’re not at war now, but… even Captain Fair, he was gone on a ‘mission’ when I went to visit the castle. What kind of ‘mission’ could he have been on while Anachór is not even at war with anyone?”

“Go to bed, Aqua.”

“I can sleep here,” Aqua said with a yawn.

“Aqua.” Yen Sid placed a hand on the book she was reading to close it.

“Hey…” Aqua protested, until it turned into a yawn.

“Do I have to carry you to your bedroom like I did when you were five?” Yen Sid asked as he crossed his arms.

Aqua smirked. “Bet it would break your back...”

Yen Sid rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Get to bed, dear little Queen.”

Aqua sighed. “But… I have to find Terra… Then I can sleep…”

“Aqua…”

Aqua didn’t answer, because she was sound asleep now, head slumped onto the desk. Yen Sid sighed.

+

The next morning (after a couple guards had taken Aqua back to her bedroom, under Yen Sid’s supervision), Aqua reached a moment of clarity and prepared to set out.

“Yen Sid,” she called to him in her receiving hall, where she met with him privately.

“Yes, Queen Aqua?” Yen Sid briefly bowed.

Aqua smiled at him as she stood up straight. “I’m going to set out on a search.”

“You think you’ve found where Terra is—who the culprit could be?”

Aqua shook her head. “No. But…I’ve wasted enough time in the library. I know what to look out for, but now... I need to go!”

“Aqua…”

“I’ll be extremely careful,” she preemptively told Yen Sid. “Whoever took Terra doesn’t want to be found. But they also don’t want to be too far away from Anachór, that much is sure.”

“Where will you go?”

“To the woods in the South. It’s where I would go if I wanted to make sure it took someone a long time to look for Terra—but if I wanted to be close enough to Anachor to monitor the situation.”

Yen Sid crossed his arms. “Take your guard with you. This sorcerer…whoever it is, they are prepared to kill anyone they believe is expendable.”

“No. They will be expecting a guard company. If I go alone, I can travel more inconspicuously,” Aqua argued.

Yen Sid sighed. “...I’m afraid you may be right… But Aqua…”

Aqua smiled and walked up to Yen Sid. “I know you're worried, but I’m prepared to fight if I have to. It's what I've been training for all these years. I never thought I'd have to be the one to go save Terra, but... then what have I been training for if not this?"

Yen Sid sadly smiled at Aqua. "You make a good point."

Aqua grinned. "I hope I don't have to fight. After all, my main priority will be to find Terra and bring him back as soon as I can.”

“You’re leaving?!” 

Aqua whipped around and saw Ven at the corner of the room. “Ven! This was supposed to be a private meeting, how did you even get in here…?”

The blond boy quickly shuffled up to Aqua, then bowed. “Apologies, your highness…but I wanted to…get news on Terra. The search party was called off and I had to know what happened!”

Aqua sighed and then placed a hand on Ven's shoulder. “I’m going to look for him, Ven. But there’s not going to be a search party this time. It’ll just be me.”

Ven smiled. “Then let me go with you!”

Aqua was about to protest until Yen Sid chimed in, “Yes, you can accompany the Queen, Ventus.”

“Yen Sid!” Aqua gasped.

“All right!” Ven pumped a fist into the air. “Let me go get ready! I’ll get us the best horses!”

Aqua sighed and shook her head

“Ventus may be a boy, but at least he will be company,” Yen Sid told her with a smile. “Take care of him, Aqua.”

“Of course I will!" Aqua responded. And then she furrowed her brow in realization. “Wait, is…that why you let him come? So that I would be too worried about his safety to place ourselves in danger?“

"If that’s what will work,” Yen Sid with a grin. Then he sobered. “Aqua… this is a dangerous task you're undertaking. Please be careful.”

Aqua nodded. “I will be. But... word cannot get out that I am gone from my castle. Make up a story… Say I’m shut in my room because I’m sick with grief—something that society will believe is ‘queenly’!”

Yen Sid dryly laughed. “As you wish, my Queen.”

+

Aqua didn’t wear her royal armor this time, and she outfitted herself with most of her combat training gear, so as not to make herself conspicuous. She wore black leather pants, a simple, long-sleeved tunic that was a deep blue and made of cotton, and on top of that, a dark leather cuirass. She equipped herself with steel arm guards, steel plated black leather boots, a short sword, and her bow. Aqua’s armor might not be the strongest, but it was light enough for her to travel comfortably—and quickly. Finally, she wore a blue velvet cloak with a hood big enough to hide half of her face as she exited the castle. 

“Let’s go, Ven,” Aqua quietly told her younger friend, who was outfitted similarly to her. He wore a black and white ensemble of leather and cotton and had armor that matched Aqua’s. The hood of his brown cloak covered most of his face when he pulled it over his head. Ven was also equipped with a small dagger, but Aqua hoped he didn’t have to use it.

Ven grinned at Aqua as they quietly took their horses toward the castle gate. “We’re like adventurers! Going to save Terra!”

“Shh!” Aqua protested, though she gave Ven a gentle smile.

“Ah, Queen Aqua—I figured you would be leaving soon.”

Aqua whipped around to see Captain Zack Fair leaning against the wall near the castle gates. It shocked Aqua that he was here, let alone that he knew she was setting off to find Terra.

“Zack! You’re still here?” Aqua exclaimed. “How long have you been waiting here?”

“I was waiting until you called for a search party to look for Terra....and when I’d heard that you decided not to lead a search party after all... I figured that something was up,” Zack explained with a smirk. “So I came to see for myself if you were actually going to go after Terra.”

Aqua tilted her head in accordance. “Well...you’re right. But Zack... Why are you even still here in Rainfell? I thought you would have gone back to Anachór already?”

Zack had his arms crossed and lost his bright look. “I couldn’t leave. It didn’t feel right to go home yet. Especially since I knew you still hadn’t given up on Terra being alive.”

“So, were you waiting because—”

“Let me join you!” Zack told Aqua as he stepped forward. “My horse is still in the village, but I can get another one real quick if you let me borrow one from the stables.”

“No need!”

Aqua, Zack, and Ven whipped their heads to turn at the sound of clopping hooves from the road ahead. 

It was Aerith, Zack’s wife, seated upon a black horse. Like Aqua, she chose to wear leggings and boots underneath her skirt so she could ride properly while wearing a dress.

“Aerith?!” Zack exclaimed, with a blush. “What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that!” Aerith had a frown on her face and placed her hands on her hips. “You left me at the village inn—again! I knew there was only one place I would find you.”

“I left you a letter—“

“A letter saying you would be back soon?” Aerith narrowed her eyes and rode up to Zack, so close that the horse cornered him against the gate. “Zack Fair, do you really think you can get away with going on yet another adventure and making me wait for you?”

“This is getting a bit intense,” Ven whispered to Aqua.

Zack swallowed as he brought his hands up to shield himself from the horse’s muzzle. “I’m sorry, Aerith!”

“‘Sorry’ isn’t enough!” Aerith argued. She hopped off the horse, then walked up to Zack herself, pointing a finger at him. “You are not leaving me behind to wait for you ever again—do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Zack answered with a gulp.

Aerith’s fierce look was gone and replaced with a radiant smile. “Well, good! You can take the reins of the horse then, while I relax and enjoy the ride.”

Zack exhaled and slumped forward. “Well… it looks like Aerith and I are joining you, Aqua.”

Aqua smiled at the both of them. “I’m sure Terra will be happy to see all of us when we rescue him.”

Aerith looked up at Aqua with a sad smile. “You really think we’ll find him?”

Aqua nodded. “I do…. At least….my heart is telling me he’s alive...and that means I can find him.”

“Good. Keep listening to your heart!” Aerith winked at Aqua and smiled. Aqua smiled back at her.

As the small group prepared to leave, Aqua overheard Zack and Aerith as they continued to bicker behind her and Ven. 

“I can’t believe you were about to leave me again!”

“I just didn’t want you to be in danger! We don’t know what we’re dealing with and—“

“And my place is by your side! We’re partners, remember?”

Aqua smiled, but she felt a pain in her heart. 

Zack and Aerith’s exchange yet again reminded her of her relationship with Terra. 

_Terra…_ Aqua reached into her trouser pocket and squeezed her palm around the charm she made for him.

_I hope I find you soon…so we can talk about everything. Please…please be alive, so we can just… be together again!_

“Well, let’s go find our Prince!” Aerith cheerfully said, breaking Aqua out of her thoughts.

“Yeah! Let’s find Terra!” Ven added. 

“We’re all with you, Aqua,” Zack told her with a grin as he rode up next to her. 

Aqua shed a couple tears out of happiness. “Thank you... Thank you all for believing in me!”


	3. True Love's Kiss

I.

The day had finally come for Terra and his new animal companions to carry out their mission to break into Xehanort’s tower and figure out what his plans were—and to also steal a book or two.

Terra didn’t know how many days had passed since he had turned into a swan, but he had the moon’s cycle to go on. It first started out as a full moon and had by now phased into a crescent. The curve of the moon was on the left side, and Terra remembered Eraqus teaching him a long time ago that there was an easy way you could tell which phase the moon was in. A new moon was soon approaching.

_So maybe…almost two weeks have passed?_

Terra was glancing up at the moon thinking about this while in his swan form, choosing to stay out of the water to accomplish his mission. 

Xehanort had made sure to return to the pond at some point every night during the last couple weeks, even if it was just before dawn. On the nights that Terra chose not to turn into a human, Xehanort would still urge him to go into the pond to become human. It was a bit unusual, the way he would get passive aggressive on the nights that he found Terra walking around in his swan form.

That’s where Terra got the idea that there was a way to figure out what Xehanort was doing in his tower and where he was getting his knowledge from, and he just needed to be his small size to do it—and the best time to do it would be at night, when Xehanort would least suspect it.

“Okay—we all remember our roles?” Terra asked as he, Chip, Dale, Donald, and Goofy huddled together in a boulder-filled corner of the pond.

“Terra and I are going to fly up high and see what we can from above, then we’ll send the signal by dropping low when Xehanort makes for the tower,” Donald answered.

Chip nodded, “Right—then Dale and I are going to infiltrate while Terra, Donald, and Goofy stand by for support.”

“And when the time comes and we find a way into the tower…we destroy everything!” Goofy piped up.

Terra softly laughed. “Right! If we disrupt whatever Xehanort is working on…he’ll have to start all over again!”

“You sure this is a good plan Terra? I mean…won’t this Xehanort fella get mad?” Dale asked him.

Terra shrugged his wings. “Well… he might… but he’s already turned me into a swan and he wants to keep me alive. What else can he do to me?”

“Let’s just all be careful,” Donald cautioned. “We don’t know what Xehanort is capable of…”

Everyone nodded and they did a group high five that Terra initiated.

+

Xehanort returned to the pond late at night when all the stars and moon were still out and skulked over to the tower, but not without first calling for Terra.

“Prince Terra! Where have you run off to?”

Terra was flying high above, circling the pond with Donald periodically throughout the night. It was strenuous for Terra, similar to the feeling of treading water as a human, but it was good practice for learning how to fly long distances.

“You got it, Terra!” Donald encouragingly told him.

“There!” Terra said as he peered down and saw Xehanort at the pond far below. “Xehanort will be looking for me.”

Donald followed Terra’s gaze. “Let’s be patient. He’ll give up after a few minutes…let’s just get out of his sight.”

Terra followed Donald’s lead as they began to fly in a wider circumference. He counted on Chip, Dale, and Goofy to follow Xehanort into the tower. They were already waiting near the likely entrance that Xehanort would use, just in view of the night sky through a barred window.

“There he goes!” Terra told Donald as soon as Xehanort started to stomp towards the castle tower.

“Let’s drop down,” Donald told him. Terra nodded and followed his lead, flying low until they glided just above the pond and then back up in the air.

Chip, Dale, and Goofy made small salutes and waited for Xehanort to open the door with a key he pulled from his pocket. Meanwhile, Terra and Donald finally rested in the branches of a nearby tree bordering the pond.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Donald asked. 

“I have to get closer… Maybe there’s a window I can look in from?” Terra mused. 

“If he even goes in that chamber right now,” Donald muttered.

The two birds watched as Chip and Dale scurried after the sorcerer, and Goofy stood on standby just outside of the tower in the pond, blending in with the lily pads.

“Let’s go,” Terra said as he began to fly.

“Hey—wait! That wasn’t part of the plan!” Donald protested.

“It is now,” Terra explained as he flew. “I have to see for myself what he’s doing.”

A light illuminated the window that Terra had mentioned before, the one that had too many bars on it for him to fly through. Terra flew towards the window and landed just above it on a broken remnant of a sculpture that jutted out from the stone.

“I’m so close… the crescent is in the sky, but… there is a missing piece of parchment here…” Xehanort whispered to himself. 

Terra could hear him flip through a book, so he hopped down onto the stone of the window, hoping to get a better look at whatever Xehanort was using. Terra also noticed that Chip and Dale had climbed onto one of the shelves in the small chamber. The shelves were dusty and full of jars containing liquids, powders, and other gross things like animal bones, insects, and other dried up organs. 

“This guy’s a creep!” Dale whispered out.

“Shh!” Chip reprimanded.

At that moment, they scurried back out of sight because Xehanort had walked over to the shelves to pick up a jar, leaving the book unsupervised for a moment. Terra took this opportunity to try and peek at it, but it was too dark for him to make out much and he was too far away to read the text.

“You!” Terra froze when he heard Xehanort gasp, and then saw the man’s facial expression turn into a glower. “What do you think you are doing here?!”

Terra had one second to make a decision right here—He could fly away, or he could try to get into the chamber through one of the small gaps in the window.

Terra chose the latter option, and he decided to do it by baiting Xehanort. He stood his ground on the stone just outside the window and Xehanort predictably moved forward and reached for him. Terra hopped just out of his reach and then nipped at his wrist.

“Ouch! Why you…!” Xehanort growled and tried to grab Terra again. This time Terra let himself be grabbed as Xehanort brought him against the bars of the window. “Think you’re being clever, Swan Prince?”

“Not quite…” Terra grunted, though he wasn’t even sure Xehanort could understand him. He was painfully pressed against the bars, but Xehanort left his left hand unguarded and Terra’s neck was long and narrow enough that he could just…

“No!” Xehanort cried as Terra reached with all his might to wrestle the potion out of Xehanort’s hand with his beak. Xehanort lost his grip on the bottle and dropped it, consequently causing the contents of the bottle to spill on the floor as the glass shattered.

“Now _that_ was clever!” Terra triumphantly announced. 

“Woohoo! Way to go, Terra!” Chip and Dale cheered.

“Curse you! That potion took ages to procure!” Xehanort curled his hand into a fist and viciously grimaced at Terra. “Curse that I need you alive!”

Terra smirked before Xehanort forcibly grabbed him on both sides of his torso and threw him down from the window.

Terra wasn’t too ruffled because he was confident he would land just fine in the water—however, when he landed, he immediately turned back into a human and felt a bruising around his ribs and a sore neck. He coughed out the water that got into his lungs as he looked up at the tower—then suddenly his sight was blocked because Xehanort in front of him.

“How did you…” Terra started before he got interrupted with a push at his chest.

Xehanort glared at him. “I know a spell that heals bones. Don’t make me have to use it on you, Swan Prince!”

Terra knew a threat when he heard one, but he just smugly stared back at Xehanort. “That all you can do?”

Xehanort shook with anger and wrung his fists at his side. Then he grinned that unsettling grin of his. “I underestimated you, Prince Terra.”

“I told you,” Terra started, narrowing his eyes into a glare, “I’m not just gonna sit here and willingly be your prisoner. I’m going to find a way to break this curse and go home.”

Xehanort smirked. “Oh really? You may think you’ve accomplished something tonight, but you’ve only prolonged your suffering. And the suffering of your precious Queen of Rainfell.”

Terra’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Xehanort leered at Terra as he began to skulk away, hands folded behind his back. “Wouldn’t you like to know…”

“Xehanort… If you so much as touch Aqua, I’ll kill you!” Terra sneered as he followed the old man.

“You’ve made that empty threat before,” Xehanort shortly replied before vanishing into a plume of black and violet flames. 

“Xehanort!” Terra cried out, but too late.

_So that was how he traveled so quickly…_ Terra realized.

“Terra… Are you okay?” It was Goofy who had come to swim up beside Terra.

Terra smiled down at his turtle friend. “Yeah… I’m fine.”

“That was a big fall!” Goofy exclaimed. “Glad Xehanort didn’t do more than that, though.”

Terra’s eyebrows raised in shock as he looked down at Goofy. “Hey, you can still understand me…! And I can understand you!”

Goofy grinned. “Wow, you’re right, Terra! A’hyuck!”

Terra smiled, and then a thought came into his head. “Wait… Xehanort’s gone! Maybe now we can find those books!”

Terra carefully secured Goofy under his arm as he made his way up the tower, to the door of the chamber that Xehanort had just been in. It was still locked from the inside.

“Chip, Dale—are you still in there?” Terra called out from right behind the door.

“Yep!”

“Glad you’re okay, Terra!”

“Great! Can you try to bring the book that Xehanort was just looking at? Try to slip it underneath the door,” Terra suggested as he waited crouched down next to said door.

“You got it, Terra!” Chip replied.

“Not if I can help it!” A raspy little voice sneered. Terra glanced around, but couldn’t see where it came from in the dark. 

“It’s that ferret, Xigbar!” Terra heard Donald squawk. 

“Is he in there?” Terra tried to peek through the cracks of the wooden door so he could keep an eye on the chipmunks, although he couldn’t see much.

“Dale, let’s hurry!” Chip told his brother.

“You got it, Chipper!” Dale answered.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Xigbar sneered. Then Terra heard a distressed squeak and what sounded like a scuffle.

“Chip! Dale!” Terra cried out.

“Get your paws off my brother!” Dale growled, and then Terra heard some more scuffling.

“Donald! They need help!” Terra urged.

“I’m trying!” Donald argued from within the chamber. “Get away from my friends!”

Terra placed Goofy down gently and stood up, moving to push all his weight against the door so he could try to break it down.

“Terra… I don’t think that’ll work…” Goofy slowly protested.

“It’s almost like it’s spelled shut…” Terra caught his breath as he rubbed at his shoulder. He tried to peer through the cracks again, still hearing the sound of a scuffle.

“Let’s just leave the book!” Donald squawked.

“But we can take him…” Chip groaned.

“Haha! Giving up?” Xigbar asked with a laugh. Then there was a thud and Terra thought he heard him groan.

“I got him—you two, get out of here, we’ll get the book later!” Donald urged.

Terra waited anxiously until he saw the two chipmunks crawl out from under the door. Dale was supporting Chip as he helped him crawl. It looked like Chip had bite marks on his body and his fur was mussed in some places.

“Chip!” Terra scooped up Chip and held him gently in both of his hands while Dale crawled up his arm all the way to sit on his shoulder. “Are you okay, Chip?”

Chip weakly opened his eyes, and his breathing was still quick as he lied on Terra’s palm. “I’ll be fine…”

“Chipper, why did you do that? He was too big for you to take on by yourself!” Dale exclaimed, sounding upset.

Chip smiled at his brother. “Why does only Terra get to do all the heroic stuff?”

“Bein’ a hero ain’t just about puttin’ yourself in harm’s way!” Goofy protested.

“Goofy’s right,” Terra softly added. “You don’t need to be a hero if it means getting hurt in the process. Your safety matters a lot more to me than some book!”

“Still… you got hurt doing something heroic,” Chip protested.

Terra softly chuckled. “Yeah, and it was a big risk I took!”

“It was dumb!” Donald added right as he flew into the opening of the tower, landing on Terra’s available shoulder. He didn’t look hurt, so Terra breathed out a sigh of relief.

“But it worked,” Goofy said with a chuckle.

“Let’s get out of here,” Terra said as he bent down to pick up Goofy and carry him once more. He cradled Chip to his chest and balanced the rest of his animal friends as he carried them down the tower steps.

Donald shook his head. “We can’t take that ferret too lightly.”

“This isn’t going to be that easy, is it?” Terra said as he looked back at the tower. The grey and white ferret was waiting at the window, staring down at them.

It was clear now that Xehanort _was_ using that spellbook for one of his plans… but he still needed something to finish the spell. Assuming from how upset he got, breaking that potion could have very well been the key and Terra might have bought himself some time from whatever horrible thing Xehanort planned to do next.

_But his ominous threat about Aqua… could she be in danger?_

It was even more important now that Terra figured out how to break his curse—and fast!  
  


II.

Aqua and her new traveling party set up camp in a meadow close to the woods in the South of Rainfell. Feeling a bit less anxious this time now that she was with a group of people who actually believed in her and wanted to find Terra as much as she did—Aqua felt well-rested when she woke up early. She decided to spend the warm morning sitting under the shade of a tree while she studied pages that she had borrowed from the book about the Dark Arts. Meanwhile, Zack and Aerith were busy cooking breakfast and Ven had volunteered to help them.

Aqua looked closely at the images next to the text of the current page she studied, which detailed the sorcerer’s ability to shape-shift into natural or supernatural creatures. The language in this book was archaic, but it was easy enough to understand. Sorcerers were believed to be able to change into any animal form but there was still not very much else known about these powers. The old illustration included a creature that had scales and a long slithering tongue, with the head of a lion and horns protruding from its head. There were also flames coming out of its mouth. Aqua thought back to the flames and scorch marks she saw the night that King Eraqus died…

“Hey, Aqua, made you coffee!” Ven cheerfully announced, breaking Aqua from her intense focus.

“Oh—thank you, Ven!” Aqua smiled at him gently and took the clay mug he held out to her. Ven walked over to her side and glanced down at the pages she had gathered on her lap.

“What’s that you’re reading?” Ven asked.

“Pages I took from the book that Yen Sid let me read. I’m studying up so I know what to look out for,” Aqua explained.

“Isn’t that…forbidden?” Zack asked as he approached her with crossed arms.

Aqua briefly colored in her cheeks. “Well…the Forbidden Arts are forbidden, not necessarily reading about them—Hey! How do you know about the Forbidden Arts?”

Zack sighed and put his hands on his hips. “As Captain of the Guard, I have to know about any potential danger that might come to my Prince. So… you really think it’s the Forbidden Arts?”

“You saw it yourself, right?” Aqua asked as she showed him the illustration she had just been studying.

Zack took the page and glanced at the creature, his eyes discerning it bitterly. Then he returned the page to Aqua and uncomfortably scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah… I mean, it looked like a dragon…but I thought dragons only existed in fairytales! I thought maybe I’d lost my mind. There was so much fire… I rationalized that maybe it had been an attack from an enemy group but your search showed no such evidence.”

Zack clenched his hands into fists as he looked at the ground. “I should have known better.”

“Stop beating yourself up, Zack,” Aerith comforted as she walked up to him, poking a finger into his side and causing him to break out into a smile as he bent over. 

They met eyes and giggled at each other. “Thanks, Aerith…”

Aerith grinned wide, and then she looked over at Aqua. “Breakfast is ready!”

Everyone moved to go sit right next to the small fire Zack and Aerith had used to cook sausages and eggs with their limited cooking utensils. It was a delicious meal and Aqua was grateful for the sense of normalcy that having a meal with others provided. But eventually, the conversation turned back to the Forbidden Arts.

“So it wasn’t just a creature,” Aerith commented as she put a hand to her chin in thought. 

Aqua had finished explaining to everyone what she had studied in the book Yen Sid showed her—and how it made her positive that they were dealing with a sorcerer.

“We’re most likely tracking a sorcerer who can change into any animal using the Forbidden Arts. At the time of the attack on King Eraqus, it was a winged creature. But it could be anything now,” Aqua explained.

“What?” Ven asked, with a confused raise of his eyebrow.

“Whoever it was wasn’t a human when they took Terra…but that doesn’t mean they didn’t become human or something else after! That’s why it makes sense that there are no tracks,” Zack added with a nod.

Aqua nodded back. “And I’m betting whoever it is doesn’t want to be found, so they went somewhere remote with Terra, but not too remote.”

“What makes you think they’re staying close?” Zack asked.

“Because I think whoever it is, is doing all this to gain power,” Aqua replied. “They wouldn’t stray too far from Anachór.”

Aerith chimed in, “So if someone was targeting King Eraqus and Prince Terra, they had to know that the royal party would be traveling back from your coronation…but Terra and King Eraqus weren’t supposed to leave that early, were they?”

“So how did they know when and where Terra and the King would be traveling along that road?” Ven asked with a worried furrow of his brow.

Aqua sighed as she folded up the pages. “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. It had to be someone who either was in Rainfell or someone from Anachór who attended the coronation.”

Zack grimaced. “Oh geez…”

Aerith put a finger up in the air. “But we can narrow it down! It was someone who wanted to take King Eraqus out of power.”

“And they could have killed Terra and left his dying body just like King Eraqus, but they didn’t. So if this person didn’t kill Terra, then he has to be alive—and if he’s alive… whoever this person is might be using him to get power in Anachór,” Aqua added.

Zack crossed his arms. “So let me get this straight… there was someone who showed up to Queen Aqua’s coronation, saw poor Terra get rejected—no offense, Aqua—but still decided that they needed to get rid of King Eraqus and Prince Terra… Well, it couldn’t have been anyone from Rainfell.”

“Why not?” Aqua asked. 

“There would be no need!” Zack emphatically answered as he put out his hands.

“Unless,” Aerith interjected, “There is someone who wants to ensure the alliance between our two kingdoms and would offer a ransom for Terra’s life—but the ransom would be that Queen Aqua has to marry Terra so that the alliance could be officially forged between Anachór and Rainfell…!”

“But… it’s been two weeks!” Aqua protested. “If someone really wanted to threaten Terra’s life by making me marry him…why would they have waited this long? And how would that explain why King Eraqus was killed?”

“That’s why I don’t think it’s anyone in Rainfell or anyone who has _any_ interest in you marrying Terra!” Zack excitedly interjected. “It has to be someone who was trying to usurp power in Anachór who saw the engagement proposal that went wrong as the perfect time to jump on taking King Eraqus out of power! With an insecure alliance to Rainfell, no marriage planned, and the only heir to Anachór’s throne being an illegitimate son of the King… I can imagine that this would be the _perfect_ chance for someone to try and take the throne!”

“You don’t have to sound so cheerful about it,” Aerith muttered.

“I’m just certain I’m onto something here!” Zack protested.

Aqua glanced down, her cheeks warming from all this talk about how she rejected Terra’s proposal. Could that have really been the catalyst for all these awful things to have happened?

“You…really think this all happened because I said no to Terra’s proposal?” Aqua asked, dejectedly looking down. It was one thing for her to blame herself, but if it truly was the reason anyone did harm to King Eraqus and Terra… 

“No! Of course not!” Zack protested with an awkward grimace.

“It just made things…easier for this person, probably,” Aerith quietly added with a kind look. She gently placed a hand on Aqua’s knee.

Ven leaned forward. “Aqua, it’s not your fault! None of this is anyone’s fault except the person who did this!”

Zack nodded. “Ven’s right. Sorry…if we made it sound that way. And it sounds like whoever did do this was planning on it long before your coronation. They had to have been with such perfect timing.”

Aqua sighed and gave a short smile. “Thank you, everyone.”

Each of the three smiled back at Aqua, and she felt encouraged to stand up and continue, “Well, that’s enough of trying to figure out why someone did this—we just need to find Terra! And I’m sure if it’s really someone trying to get power in Anachór, they won’t go too far. And that’s why I’m almost positive that the culprit is in the Mirage Woods.”

Ven gasped. “But Aqua… that’s!

She glanced at Ven with a careful expression. “I know… it’s uninhabited, it’s dangerous, and there are a lot of ghost stories about the Mirage Woods… but that makes it the perfect place to hide if you were trying to keep a prince captive, don’t you think?”

“Aqua… you said the person who took Terra is a sorcerer,” Ven replied with a worried look. “What if those ghost stories are true?”

Aqua sighed. “I don’t care if they’re true or not—I’m going after Terra.” Aqua lowered her eyes. “If it scares you to go into the Mirage Woods, you all can stop here. But I’m gonna keep going. I won’t stop until I find Terra.”

Zack stepped forward and gave her a thumbs up and a bright grin. “I’m with you, Aqua.”

“And it’s better to travel with a group in the woods! We’ll stick together and look for Prince Terra,” Aerith added with a grin as she also stood up.

Aqua smiled at the married couple and then turned to Ven, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Ven, if you’re scared, we can have someone wait with you here.”

“No! I’m not scared!” Ven protested as he frowned. “But even if I was… Terra taught me that when you’re scared and you do the right thing anyway, that’s real bravery!”

Aqua gently smiled. “Terra taught you well.”

She felt a sudden longing in her chest. Gosh, how much she missed Terra…

“Well, then—Let’s all stick together. We’ll take on any danger together!” Aqua cheerfully announced.

+

Aqua and her group quickly packed up their camp and set off on the path that led to the Mirage Woods, which was plentiful of signs warning travelers to turn around and go back. Perhaps there really was some truth to the ghost stories…

“You know, I’ve always been interested in those ghost stories, by the way,” Aerith said as the group passed along the last of the warning signs.

Zack quirked an eyebrow at her as he turned around to face her. “You’re always into weird things…”

“Well, you know why they call it the Mirage Woods, right?” Aerith asked, turning to Ven.

Ven shook his head. “No… Why?”

“Because... _you might end up seeing things that are not what they appear to be…_ ” Aerith answered in an animated, spooky tone.

“You’re such a weirdo...” Zack quietly added from in front of them.

“Well… if there are ghosts or sorcerers here, we need to be vigilant,” Aqua added, from the front of the group.

After a couple hours’ exploration into the woods, Aqua checked her map, not recognizing where they were at all. The roads faded into natural paths and soon they reached a part of the woods that Aqua was sure was not on her map.

“You know, I’ve heard you need multiple maps to get through these woods because no one’s been able to fully survey it—not before running away scared,” Zack commented to Aqua. They had all stopped to stretch and rest, having dismounted the horses.

Aqua studied her map and heard the faint roar of a waterfall. “There’s no waterfall on this map… where are we?”

“Things aren’t always what they appear to be in the Mirage Woods,” Aerith offered as she stretched her arms behind her. “I think this is exciting!”

Zack raised an eyebrow. “Now who’s being inappropriately cheerful?”

Ven walked up close to Aqua. “Are we lost?”

Aqua shook her head. “I don’t know… We’ve only been traveling south, but there’s no markings of a river or any streams. Why would there be a waterfall here?”

“Maybe it doesn’t lead into a stream,” Zack suggested.

“Let’s follow the source of the sound,” Aqua said as she got back onto her horse.

The group traveled for another half hour until they discovered what looked like a small waterfall at the base of a small grey-stoned cliff nestled between the crowded trees they traveled under. The water from the small waterfall only flowed along the ground for several meters before eventually ending in a rocky stream bed.

“How…did this small waterfall make so much noise?” Aqua asked as she creased her brow in confusion. “And…where is the water coming from?”

Zack walked up next to her and glanced up at the cliff. “It doesn’t look that tall. But maybe we could get a good view of the Mirage Woods, figure out where we are.”

Ven made a small, worried noise, then cleared his throat. “I don’t think we should investigate it.”

Aqua turned around and raised an eyebrow at Ven. “What’s wrong, Ven?”

Ven glanced up at the cliff, not looking at Aqua. “It wasn’t on the map… what if it’s an illusion?”

“Oh Ven…” Aqua tilted her head and sighed. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Well, Ven does have a point—we don’t know what it is or how safe it is to climb up,” Aerith interjected.

“But it could be where our sorcerer is hidden,” Aqua argued. “In any case, getting to the top of this cliff would give us a great view of the Mirage Woods to make our own corrections to the map.”

“I agree,” Zack told her. 

Aerith and Ven both still looked uneasy. 

“Well, only one of us needs to go up there. I’ll do it,” Aqua volunteered.

“Wait, hold on—you’re not going up there alone!” Zack told Aqua. “Besides, I’m the strongest one here.”

Aqua raised an eyebrow.

“Meaning… if you slip, I can catch you easily. That’s all I’m saying!” Zack put his hands out in defense of Aqua’s hard stare.

Aerith had her arms crossed and her mouth scrunched in skepticism. “I’m all for trying to find Prince Terra as fast as we can, but… are you sure this will be necessary?

“Scouting is basic search-and-rescue protocol, Aerith,” Zack told her as he began to do squats in preparation of climbing. “Even if we don’t find anything! Besides, we need to check every inch of this place to make sure we don’t miss anything!”

“Just make sure Aqua doesn’t hurt herself,” Ven said with his arms crossed. “She’s still a queen.”

“Of course, Ven!” Zack told him, finally stopping his squatting. “It’s okay for me to break an arm or leg, though, right?” He winked at Ven, who cracked a smirk and laughed.

Aqua smiled at this. “We won’t take long, Ven.”

  
  


III.

That same day that Aqua’s traveling party embarked into the Mirage Woods, Terra and his friends planned to carry out a second mission: get Xehanort’s spellbook. 

“We have to get that ferret out of there if we want any chance of getting that book—let me deal with him this time,” Terra told the others at their group meeting.

“But Terra… even if we get Xigbar out of the way…how do we get the book out without you being human?” Donald asked.

“If there were only some way we could carry it…” Goofy mused out loud as he spun in the water.

“Hey, Terra! What if we tied some string around it, that way you could carry it by the string!” Chip suggested.

“Where are you going to find string?” Terra asked.

“Xehanort had ropes in that room and other parchments rolled up with strings… we could just use some of those!” Chip suggested.

Terra nodded. “Okay… even so, maybe I could be the one to carry it since I’m the biggest one here.”

“The problem will still be getting it out,” Donald interjected. “We couldn’t open the door, remember? And the spaces between the window’s bars are too narrow."

“Well, maybe we could slip it underneath the door,” said Dale. “I think there was enough space!”

Terra nodded at him. “Alright. Then you should all wait outside the door while I take care of that ferret.”

“But you can’t tie a string around the book, Terra, you don’t have paws like us!” Chip protested.

Terra glanced down in worry. “Well…I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“If you’re the one taking care of Xigbar, then I have nothing to fear!” Chip cheerfully replied. “I’ll be your assistant!”

“Me too!” Dale added with an energetic hop.

Terra softly laughed and fondly gazed at them. “Okay. Donald, Goofy… that means that you two will wait outside the door.”

“You got it, Terra!” Goofy affirmed.

“Be careful this time!” Donald cautioned.

+

Terra urged the group to make this attack on Xigbar the ferret in the daytime…there was no telling when Xehanort would return and he didn’t want to let too much time pass. If Xehanort returned and figured out they were going after the book, he could easily hide it from them and then they would be completely out of options.

While Donald, Goofy, Chip, and Dale travelled up the tower the normal way, Terra flew across the pond to land on the stone window sill. Immediately, he was met with the mean-looking ferret who popped his head up over the edge of the table the book was resting on. Then he got on all fours and peered at Terra with a smirk. He was all grey except for a white stripe that ran down the center of his head and the rest of his body.

“Hey! It’s about time you picked on someone your own size!” Terra announced, puffing himself up to look bigger.

Xigbar cackled. “So they sent the big human oaf to fight me?”

Terra narrowed his eyes. “Hey…”

“Alright then, if you think you’re so tough, let’s fight to the death!” Xigbar sprang forward and pounced onto the window sill, quickly swiping at Terra’s legs with his claws.

“Ahh!” Terra hopped up in flight and then launched down to try and fit through the bars of the window. It was a tight fit and Terra felt his wings get strained with the force, but he made it into the chamber!

Xigbar was quick to attack and followed Terra, pouncing and biting hard into his side with great force. He was much faster than Terra, and with his large swan body, it was hard to move agilely to avoid Xigbar’s nips and scratches. 

But Terra got angry—so he decided to flap his wings forward and bat the ferret away from him. He hissed and honked while he flapped his wings—and was surprised by how much force he still had in his swan body. Xigbar was knocked down from just one hit from Terra’s wing and seemed to be a bit woozy as he struggled to get up.

“Chip, Dale, now!” Terra shouted.

The two chipmunks scurried from underneath the door and scrambled up the shelves to look for rope.

Terra walked over to Xigbar and hovered over him menacingly. “You want to try that again?”

Xigbar glared up at him. “I was just getting started!” 

Terra expected another attack but saw that Xigbar instead went for the chipmunks.

“Don’t you dare!” Terra followed and flew over to intercept Xigbar, batting him away with his wings.

“Hey, Terra, I have an idea!” Chip suggested. “Let’s use this twine to tie up Xigbar!”

“Great thinking!” Terra replied. While he pinned down the ferret, Chip and Dale quickly went to work to wrap him up in the spool of twine they found, tying him up to one of the legs of the table.

“You won’t get away with this! Xehanort will avenge me!” Xigbar protested.

“Yeah, yeah… shut it,” Dale said as he brought the twine across Xigbar’s mouth to gag him.

“We did it!” Chip cheered. “Terra, let’s get that book out of here now!”

IV.

It took a little more than an hour for Aqua and Zack to climb up the mysterious cliff with the small waterfall. When they reached the plateau, there was only stone, and when they tried to find where the waterfall came from…it just looked like it came out of the stone.

“Where could all this water be coming from?” Aqua asked, mystified.

“Maybe it’s magic,” Zack suggested as he crossed his arms.

Aqua tilted her head. “Magic? You really think so? And what could be the purpose?”

“Well…I’m starting to think since sorcerers, dragons, and ghost stories are real now… maybe anything is possible,” Zack said.

Aqua sighed, then walked towards the edge of the cliff. She pulled out her map from her pocket, comparing the features of the surrounding green region with what she saw in her map. With the sun’s alignment, she had a good idea of where they were and she marked the map with a ‘W’ to keep track of where they were.

“This help at all?” Zack asked as he walked up next to Aqua.

Aqua glanced down. “Not really… but at least we can keep moving. There’s still so much more wood left to search.”

Zack nodded. “At least we can tell Aerith and Ven that there was nothing to fear.”

Aqua quietly nodded.

“Hey… just because we didn’t find anything doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. We’re going to search every inch of these woods, right?” Zack grinned at Aqua.

Aqua admired how optimistic Zack looked with his bright eyes and his confident stance. Despite his heavy armor and large sword, Aqua found Zack to be a very comforting presence to be around. Even the strand of hair that fell over his eye swayed gently in the wind.

“How are you always in such a good mood, Zack?” Aqua asked with a smile.

“Not always,” Zack replied with a shrug. “But hey, you’re the one who hasn’t given up yet! You still haven’t given up yet, right?”

Aqua shook her head. “No, of course not.”

“Good!”

Zack and Aqua began the climb back down from the small cliff, and it was a quiet journey for a few minutes—until Zack began to talk again. It wasn’t often he could keep quiet, after all. But Aqua didn’t mind. It kept her from getting inside her head too much.

“So, I know it’s not really my place but… you’re going to awfully great lengths just to save Terra,” Zack started out of nowhere. “Even though it’s a long shot. And even though you said you didn’t want to marry him.” 

He had just hopped down to a lower level from the rocky path they used to climb near the top, and he was waiting for Aqua to follow.

“What’s your point, Zack?” Aqua asked after she hopped down and met him face to face.

“It’s just… are you sure you’re not in love with Terra?” Zack asked with a sheepish look at Aqua.

Aqua felt a shock go through her body. “What?”

Zack casually began to walk down their current path as he continued, “I mean… it’s just an awful lot of effort you’ve been going through just to try and save one person…”

“Terra isn’t just any person! He’s—“ Aqua glanced down as she felt pain swell in her chest. “He’s my best friend. And I love him. Anyone would do the same for their best friend. You’re here too, aren’t you?”

Zack crossed his arms behind his head as he turned around to face Aqua again. “Sure! But only because you believed so much. I lost hope, too, but… you won’t give up. Not even if everyone else does.”

Aqua narrowed her eyes and threw up her hands. “Well, of course!”

“Because you love him that much,” Zack finished.

Aqua sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well…I would do the same for anyone I loved that much. If Ven went missing, I would do the same thing!”

“So you love Ven as much as you love Terra?” Zack asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

“It’s different,” Aqua answered with a frown. “Terra and I… we’re so much closer. He’s the person I am the closest to out of everyone in my life. We’re each other’s oldest friends... there’s no comparison. But it’s not like I wouldn’t do the same thing for Ven or anyone else I really cared about!”

“Fine, fine…” Zack put up two hands, as if to defend himself. “All I’m saying is—the only time I ever did something like that, where I did everything I could to get home from a battle with wounds that made it so hard for me to walk that I didn’t even know if I could physically make it home on my own—there was someone I needed to get back home to. She mattered more than anything to me. She still does.”

Zack flashed a ring on his left hand.

Aqua’s look softened. “Aerith?”

Zack nodded. “Yep! She waited for me for months to get back home after I’d gotten injured abroad during a mission with no way to reach anyone back home. I could have given up so many times on that journey—and we weren’t even married back then, but I already knew: she was the only girl for me. Even if our visits were few and far between, and even though she thought my jokes were stupid—she still cared about me, more than anyone ever cared, really—well, besides my mom, I guess—and I was just able to have these moments of…quiet…with Aerith. No one else makes me feel the way she does.”

Aqua smiled at the wistful look he had on his face as he looked towards the distance, as if he was losing himself in the memories.

“Ahh—I’m rambling, huh?!” Zack bashfully laughed, then he turned to Aqua. “Anyway, I knew I’d do anything it took to get back to Aerith and see her one more time, even if it killed me. That gave me the strength to pull through, despite all the odds .”

Aqua thought to herself that she felt the same way about Terra—she would do anything to bring him home.

“Anyway, if you love Terra enough to do something similar for him…”

“Love comes in many forms,” Aqua quickly responded as she made her way down the rocky path ahead of them. 

She trudged on without another word and Zack followed. “Okay, fine! You’re not _in love_ with Terra.” 

Zack was quiet for a while, but Aqua could tell he had more to say so she glanced back at him. “You don’t sound convinced.”

Zack grinned. “Well, if you’re so sure you’re not in love—enlighten me. How would being in love be different from the way you feel about Terra?”

“I… I don’t know…” Aqua thought out loud. She stopped walking.

Zack also stopped after he realized that Aqua wasn’t walking anymore. “Aqua?”

“Why isn’t it enough?” she whispered, while glancing down.

“Huh?” Zack asked.

“The way I feel about Terra… why isn’t it enough? Why can’t I love him the way everyone wants me to? How do you even know when you’re in love with someone?”

This time, Aqua was directly asking Zack as she stared at him. He cleared his throat and awkwardly brought his knuckles to his chin as he thought about her question.

“I think the moment I knew I was in love with Aerith… It was quick and hit me fast—like lightning. It was the first day we really spent a considerable amount of time together—you could call it a date, except every plan I had blew up in my face,” Zack said with a chuckle. “But towards the end of the day, there was a moment when I looked into her eyes…and the whole world slowed down, and it was just her and me. And it felt like my heart was full, but at the same time, if I had stopped holding my breath, it would have probably floated out of my body. Honestly I’d never felt so alive or so close to death—at the same time!” Zack sheepishly laughed with a blush. “I know, it sounds silly…”

“No, that sounds…lovely.” Aqua softly smiled at him.

“Have you ever felt like that around Terra?” Zack asked.

Aqua was silent as she tried to remember a day during the last winter, when she visited Terra at his castle in Anachór for the first time.

.

.

.

_Last winter, Aqua had taken up Terra’s offer to make a visit to Anachór. Shortly after she arrived at the castle, Terra had been given an unexpected and important task to complete by King Eraqus. This meant that for the first few days of Aqua’s visit, she and Ventus were left to explore the capital city of Anachór alone without Terra—although he was still able to meet them for dinner each evening. It reminded Aqua of that summer at Rainfell that Terra received all those frustrating letters, when he spent half the time at Rainfell doing work instead of spending time with Aqua._

_But on the fourth morning of Aqua’s visit at Anachór, Terra came up with a plan for him and Aqua to have some uninterrupted time for fun. He went to her guest chamber very early, before the sun was even up, and softly knocked on the door before calling Aqua’s name._

_“Terra?” Aqua woke up and stretched with great effort to light the oil lamp next to her bed._

_Terra took that as an invitation to open up the door and stepped in. “Aqua? Hey, want to do some early morning sword-fighting training?”_

_“Terra… the sun isn’t even up…” Aqua groaned as she looked out the window and saw that it was still dark._

_“Yeah, well…I might have more things to do today and…I wanted to make sure I had some time to have fun with you today… I’ll make it worth your while! We can eat breakfast first!”_

_Aqua closed her eyes and sighed. “Does it have to be so early? What about Ven?”_

_“Ven is still a growing child and it’s rare that he ever gets a vacation—I’m gonna let him sleep in, of course!”_

_“But you’ll wake me up before dawn… I feel so honored,” Aqua muttered._

_“Come on, Aqua…!” Terra was kneeling at her beside now and softly patted his hands on her mattress. “How does the world’s best cup of hot chocolate sound for breakfast?”_

_“Terra…”_

_“And…the world’s best churros?”_

_“Churros? And hot chocolate? Together, at the same time?” Aqua asked, finally opening her eyes again to look at Terra._

_He was smiling and despite the dimness of the room, his eyes shone bright. “Yeah! In Anachór, we dip churros in hot chocolate. It’s the best way to eat them. Now… doesn’t fried dough-y goodness sprinkled in cinnamon and sugar, then dipped in hot chocolate sound like the perfect pre-training meal?”_

_Aqua smiled and then covered her head with her bedsheets. “You’re so ridiculous!”_

_“I get it… you’re just too intimidated by me now. Worried you can’t best me at swordplay anymore?”_

_Aqua sat up. “Oh, we both know that’s not true…”_

_“Well, then?” Terra asked with an arched eyebrow._

_Aqua smirked. “Fine… hot chocolate and churros for breakfast, it is!”_

_Terra grinned wide. “You’ll love it!”_

_Aqua couldn’t help but smile back._

_After they ate breakfast, Terra and Aqua went to the indoor fencing grounds. They were bigger and more formally designed with higher quality equipment than the fencing room at Rainfell Castle. Aqua was honestly impressed. Terra led her to a wall that displayed an array of weapons, mostly various types of swords._

_“Wow… you have every sword in the world here!” Aqua exclaimed while she gazed upon the collection._

_“Well…you want to look at some?” Terra asked._

_“I want to fight with one!” Aqua answered with a grin._

_Terra quietly laughed. “Wow…I should have bribed you with a sword rather than hot chocolate.”_

_“The hot chocolate and churros were delicious, thank you,” Aqua answered with a gentle smile. “But I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these babies!”_

_Immediately, Aqua reached for a silver rapier with an elegant hilt. She took the sword out of its sheath and stared in wonder at the shine and the quality of the steel._

_“You do seem like a rapier kind of gal,” Terra said with an approving tilt of his head._

_“What’s your weapon of choice?” Aqua asked Terra._

_“This one,” Terra said, as he reached for a claymore in the center. It had a brass hilt with a teal-colored jewel at the center of the handle. “I have to hold it with two hands in combat, but it’s my favorite.”_

_Aqua arched her eyebrows. “Well, let’s practice with you using your claymore—I’ll use the rapier!”_

_Terra pursed his lips into a bemused smirk. “Aqua… are you sure—“_

_“What? Are you afraid I’ll beat you?” Aqua playfully asked as she began practicing fancy footwork with the rapier in hand._

_Terra placed his hand on his hip, then took the shining claymore from its sheath. “No… but put on some protective gear first!”_

_After they both outfitted themselves with leather gauntlets and armguards, Terra and Aqua began to spar with the real weapons—rather than the ‘safe’ equipment they usually practiced with in Rainfell. They sparred with equal skill until Aqua found herself backed into a corner. She was sweating and panting, after having had to parry and move out of the way of Terra’s heavy sword._

_“Got you, Aqua,” Terra said with a smirk. His eyes were bright and he was panting, too._

_“Not quite!” Aqua dropped to her knees and thrust out a kick to sweep Terra’s feet and trip him._

_“Ahh-hey!” Terra caught himself on his hands while his sword clattered to the ground._

_Aqua giggled while she also lost her balance and stretched out on the floor. “I always wanted to try that move…!”_

_Terra laughed at her and rolled over onto his back next to her. Aqua crawled closer to him. “Well, do you admit defeat?”_

_“But I won!” Terra protested._

_“If this was a real battle, I totally would have bested you,” Aqua told him with a smug arch of her eyebrow._

_At that moment, Terra’s eyes narrowed and he grabbed one of Aqua’s wrists, while rolling his weight to get on all fours and pin her down, bracing his hands on both of her wrists. “How about now?”_

_Aqua was taken aback for a brief second, before she planted her feet and thrust her hips upward to knock Terra off balance with her thighs—giving her the opening she needed to hook his arm with her elbow and use her body weight to roll him over and pin him down, placing a hand on his throat._

_“I still win,” Aqua told Terra with a grin._

_Terra let his head rest back on the mat. “Phew…okay… you win the battle… but let’s not forget I won the sword-fight fair and square!”_

_Aqua giggled and then rolled off of Terra, so she was lying next to him. “This was fun!”_

_Terra turned to her and smiled. “Didn’t I tell you it was going to be?”_

_Aqua nodded, but then she lost her smile. “Terra… Is everything okay?”_

_Terra looked down. “Yeah, of course!”_

_“Be honest… While this was fun…it’s really not like you to wake up at five in the morning to do sword training.”_

_Terra stood up on his elbows, so he was reclining but turned sideways to face Aqua. He sighed. “He’s doing it again.”_

_Aqua also sat up, planting her hands on the floor behind her. “Maybe it’s only for a few days. I didn’t come here all this way to just hang out with Ven while you worked. King Eraqus will understand that, right?”_

_Terra had a sad look in his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a semblance of a smile. “I don’t mind the work. But I wanted to spend time with you. I feel bad, with how busy I’ve been since you’ve arrived. Almost like he did it on purpose again…”_

_Aqua frowned and leaned in closer to Terra. “Well, we’re spending time together now. And I know how important it is to be a future ruler of a kingdom and how not-fun the preparation can be. And how unavoidable it can be.”_

_“Yeah.” Terra smiled, and shifted to sit more comfortably next to Aqua. “If only we could actually run away—far away—so that no one could tell us what to do or make us do any boring thing we didn’t want to!”_

_Aqua opened her mouth in surprise and then gave Terra an astonished grin. “Terra, you would never!”_

_Terra shrugged and pursed his lips. “Eh, maybe not… But what’s the point of inviting you here if I don’t even get to show you all the cool things in Anachór myself?”_

_“The point is that I’m happy just to be with you,” Aqua told him with a gentle gaze. “So if we have to have our churro and hot chocolate breakfast and then play with swords at the break of dawn every day that I’m here—then so be it! No matter what we do, as long as I get to spend time with you, I’m happy.”_

_“Aqua…” Terra glanced over at her with an expression that was serious, yet charged with something tender. A smile formed on his lips and he kept a stare on Aqua for several seconds, not saying anything more—and that’s when Aqua realized that she had been staring back at Terra for just as long. Then she glanced at Terra’s lips—and thought about what it would be like to kiss him._

_Wait. Why… did she just think of that?_

_Aqua tore her gaze away to look down and swallowed. “Terra…“_

_“Yeah?”_

_Aqua bit her lip and took in a deep breath. She glanced up at Terra and smiled. “Nothing.”_

_Terra bent his eyebrows with a bit of concern. “What is it, Aqua?”_

_She tried to forget that strange, momentary feeling she just had. She tried to remember that this was Terra—the boy she had grown up with—the boy she had never thought about kissing. What was happening now was just the rush of adrenaline they got from training, she was sure!_

_“Um, you fight good,” Aqua finally said with an embarrassed grin._

_Terra’s eyes lit up and he laughed, his face wrinkling as he grinned wide and threw his head back. “Is that your way of admitting defeat?”_

_“Psshh, I won!” Aqua retorted._

_“Don’t be such a sore loser, Aqua,” Terra joked with a teasing arch of his eyebrow._

_Aqua grinned and then breathed out a sigh of relief._

_It was easier this way, when she and Terra were just two rowdy friends who joked and competed with each other about who was a better fighter._

_Aqua would simply just forget about those few brief seconds of… whatever that was._

.

.

.

“Aqua?”

“Hmm?”

Aqua realized that Zack was several paces ahead of her on the path, and he had been calling and waving to her. 

“You lost in thought?” Zack asked.

Aqua blushed. “Oh—Sorry, Zack!” She quickly jogged the distance to meet up with him.

Zack giggled. “For a queen, you apologize too much.”

Aqua rolled her eyes. As they continued to walk, she started, “Hey, Zack… What if there was… one moment? Not necessarily the same thing you described, but… there was a time when me and Terra were together and I… well, a more-than-friendly thought crossed my mind for a second.”

Zack smiled at her but he didn’t respond.

Aqua frowned. “Hey! You were the one who asked about it! You’re not going to say anything?”

Zack grinned and put his hands on his hips. “Well, I think you already learned what you needed to by thinking about it.”

Aqua looked down and sighed, her cheeks feeling warm from her embarrassment. “So what if there was one time? Three seconds of something I never felt again after. It doesn’t mean we should get married!”

“Maybe not, but if there’s something there, isn’t it worth exploring?” Zack tilted his head and stared at her with such hopeful eyes that he looked like a puppy to Aqua.

Aqua glanced down and sighed. “All I want to do right now is find Terra alive.”

“We’ll find him… “ Zack gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. “And after that, you two can start figuring your shit out!”

  
  


V.

Chip and Dale secured Xehanort’s spellbook with twine and Terra helped them carry it out, passing it along to Donald and Goofy until they moved into the trees to hide.

“Well, we have the book now,” Goofy commented as everyone else was quietly anticipated what to do next.

“Terra, you need to read it. Try to look for your spell,” Chip told him.

“Right!” Terra noticed the sun was high in the sky, but it looked like afternoon was already here. “But…what if Xehanort comes back early? Maybe I should take this far away and then read it in a place he won’t find me.”

“Just start reading it!” Donald impatiently squawked. “You’re wasting time talking!”

“Donald, maybe Terra has a point! After all, this looks like a long book…” Goofy remarked as he peered at the edge of the spellbook.

Donald hissed, “Whatever you do, just do it quick!”

“I’ll take it with me somewhere to the north.” Terra took the twine around the book into his mouth and prepared to take off into the sky.

“You’re going alone?” Dale asked.

“Donald, you should fly with Terra!” Goofy suggested.

Donald sighed. “Why?”

“He’ll need help getting back!” Dale added. “You know these woods better than anyone.”

Terra let go of the twine a little so he could talk. “It’s okay Donald. You don’t have to—“

“Fine, I will!” Donald conceded with an angry stare. “Let’s go Terra!” 

Donald flew off right away, so Terra scrambled to grasp the twine in his teeth and take off in flight.

“Good luck, Terra!” Chip and Dale called out to him.

“And be nice, Donald!” Goofy said with a chuckle.

Terra was able to keep up with Donald, but found it very uncomfortable to fly with the twine in his beak. He used all his might and concentration to make sure he held it tight.

“Donald… where are we going?” Terra mumbled.

Donald turned back to glance at Terra. “There’s a river close by that makes no sound! We can read the book down there, since Xehanort would have trouble finding us.”

“A river that makes no sound? That sounds—whoops!” Terra felt the twine slip from his beak and the book careened down toward the earth.

“Terra!” Donald squawked.

Terra took quick action and swooped down to capture the book in his beak by the spine. 

Donald flew close to him before continuing on. “Just a little farther, Terra! Hold onto that book!”

Terra didn’t answer, worried that he might drop the book if he talked again. It was even worse than holding the book by the string.

“Follow me, Terra—we need to fly lower now,” Donald urged him. Terra followed and he could see more details of the forest floor. He still had no idea where he was, but he knew that he wasn’t in Anachór, that was for sure.

“Humans!” Donald gasped. “Let’s keep going!”

“Humans?” Terra gasped, losing grip of the book in his beak.

“Terra!” 

The book fell again and Donald flew down to try and catch it, but wasn’t quick enough to get a hold of it.

“We have to go get the book!” Donald cried. Terra nodded and flew down with him to chase the book before it fell to the ground.

+

Aqua and her traveling party continued to make their way south along what counted as a path in this barely-trodden ground. There were a lot of big rocks in the dirt, so they had to travel slowly and lead the horses on foot.

Aqua looked up at the sky through the trees, noting that the sun was already beginning to sink, meaning it was going to be night soon.

“Aqua, do you need to rest?” Ven asked.

“What? No, I’m fine,” Aqua answered. She was in fact tired, sweaty, and itchy from walking through a humid, dusty forest all day—but she couldn’t give up on the day yet. Every minute they spent searching for Terra was critical.

“We should probably make camp soon, though,” Zack suggested. “Then we can get a bright start early in the morning!”

“Let’s keep walking just a little longer,” Aqua said as she directed her attention back to her horse.

Ven and Aerith were at the back of the group, and Ven noticed that Aerith was falling behind because her head was tilted up towards the sky the whole time she walked.

“Aerith, why do you keep looking up?” Ven asked as he stopped.

Aerith looked at Ven and smiled at him. “Because…you might miss something if you only ever looked forward. And these trees... something tells me they’re full of secrets!”

“Secrets?” Ven asked. “Like what?”

“Think about all they get to see when silly humans are too busy only looking forward or at the ground around them,” Aerith said with a giggle.

Ven chuckled and looked up to the sky as he walked on—although that led to him stumbling over a branch a few seconds later.

Aerith caught him by the elbow and fondly giggled. “Oh, Ven… are you all right?”

“Hey, if you both don’t watch where you’re going, you might sprain an ankle,” Zack warned.

“Then you can carry me the rest of the way!” Aerith playfully replied.

Aqua humored herself to also look up towards the sky, seeing a bright and windless blue sky. It looked so peaceful…. until two dots floated through the air at a fast pace—and a third speck seemed to fall towards the ground.

Aqua bent her brows in confusion. “What… is that?”

“Well, that’s not something you see everyday!” Aerith said as she moved up close to Aqua, head still tilted to stare up at the sky.

Aqua continued to look at the moving objects and Zack finally glanced up with a gasp. “Do you… see those—”

“Birds!” Ven exclaimed.

“What are they doing? Hunting?” Aqua asked.

“That thing that fell looks like… a book!” Aerith noted.

“Two winged animals…chasing after a book?” Zack mused out loud. Then he gasped, “Aqua!”

“What is it?” Aqua asked as she took her eyes off of the birds.

“The thing that attacked us was a winged creature….look at the size of one of those birds!”

Incidentally, the birds began flying closer to them as they swooped low to the ground. Aqua could tell that one was a duck and the larger one looked like a swan.

“It’s a swan… But it couldn’t be the same creature that attacked you!” Aqua told Zack.

Zack had a frown on his face as he took his sword from its sheath. “You said so yourself…the creature could be anything now…”

“Wait—you think it’s the sorcerer?” Ven asked Zack.

Zack began to march forward with his sword brandished. “At the very least, it could be our only lead! When’s the last time you saw a bird read a book?”

“Well…never,” Ven answered with a scratch at his head.

“These aren’t normal birds, and I’m gonna capture them to find out the truth!” Zack announced before charging forward.

“H-Hey!” Aqua protested. “We can’t just rush after random birds thinking they’re magical creatures!”

Zack hadn’t seemed to hear her and ran onward, meanwhile Ven looked conflicted about following or staying.

“Oh Zack, don’t hurt it!” Aerith protested as she began to run after him. She turned around to face Aqua and shrugged. “Aqua, I’m going to follow Zack to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid!”

Aqua sighed as Aerith rushed off after Zack, but she glanced back up at the birds in the sky. Could Zack be right? Could one of these birds be the sorcerer? 

+

“Terra! It looks like we’re being followed!” Donald told Terra after they were able to pick the book up again.

“Huh?” Terra glanced behind him and indeed saw a man with a sword running towards them. Terra could have sworn he looked familiar…

“The humans! I told you we shouldn’t have flown too close!” Donald grumbled. “And stop talking—you’ll drop the book again!”

Terra glanced down and saw more humans trailing the one with the sword.

“I’m sure they won’t harm us, Donald. Maybe they can even help!” Terra said through his clenched beak.

“Terra, no!”

Terra didn’t listen and flew lower so he could get a better look at the humans. They certainly were the first humans he’d seen in this forest since he’d been turned into a swan. When he was low enough to get a good look at their faces, he froze upon seeing one of them--because it was someone who had blue hair…and her face!

“Aqua!” Terra cried, dropping the book from his beak. He tried to swoop down quickly to get it, but it landed on the ground before he could get a hold on it.

“Stop right there!” a familiar voice said from behind Terra.

Terra was on the ground now with the string in his mouth, and he quickly whirled around to see another familiar face.

“Zack!” Terra happily cried. He hopped on the ground and tried to honk in a friendly way, hoping that Zack could help him.

But Zack instead recoiled and bared his sword. He cautiously approached Terra with a palm stretched out in a disarming gesture.

“Easy, buddy… I don’t want to hurt you if I don’t have to…but if I get the feeling that you’re the one behind Terra’s disappearance, I’ll—“

Donald had swooped in and flew straight into Zack’s face, furiously flapping his wings and snapping his beak.

“OW!” Zack put a hand to his eye and slashed his sword back and forth, nearly hitting both Terra and Donald.

“Pick up the book!” Donald shouted at Terra.

Terra nodded and quickly lifted off with the book in his beak.

“I told you it was dangerous!” Donald scolded.

“Only because you escalated the situation!” Terra grumbled. “That was my friend, Zack! And Aqua! She’s here too! She came for me—they both did!”

“Well, they don’t know that you’re a swan,” Donald argued. “And he was coming at you with that sword!”

“He wasn’t going to hurt me,” Terra argued back.

“Uh—Terra, where’s the book?” Donald asked. 

“Uh oh…” Terra quietly said, realizing he probably dropped it while he was ranting.

+

“Zack, are you alright?” Aerith asked as she caught up to him. He had a palm clutched over his right eye.

“Damn…duck…got me!” Zack replied with an exasperated groan. “There’s something seriously wrong here. These birds have to either be working with the sorcerer or they’re just evil enchanted birds!”

“Oh, Zack…” Aerith said, gently taking his hand off of his face. “Let me see… Are you blind now?”

“What? No.”

“Whew! Then you’ll be okay!” Aerith grinned as she gave him a strong pat on the back.

“Wait, Aerith—they’re headed back the way we came!” Zack swallowed as he glanced back, trying to see how far they were from Aqua and Ven. “What if these birds _are_ connected to the sorcerer—or one of them _is_ the sorcerer—and what if they recognize Queen Aqua?”

Aerith’s eyes widened. “We have to protect her!”

+

Meanwhile, Aqua and Ven had seen none of the action but Aqua kept her eyes peeled to the sky.

“If you want to go follow, you should,” Ven said, breaking her concentration.

“What—you think so, Ven?” Aqua asked.

Ven softly gazed at Aqua. “I can tell when you’re worried…which is most of the time, lately, you know…”

Aqua glanced down and sighed. “Well, it’s just… do you think this could really be our link to Terra?”

“Only one way to find out, right?” Ven said with a smile.

“Right!” Aqua affirmed with a nod. “But the horses…. we can’t leave them here.”

Ven guiltily looked back at their horses. “Let me tie them up real quick. You should go catch up to Zack and then I can catch up to you!”

“You sure, Ven?” Aqua asked. “I don’t want you to get lost…”

As Ven got started on hooking up the rope to the reins of one horse, Aqua heard a loud thud on the ground from behind them and turned around to see a book that had dropped onto the dirt.

“Well, looks like we don’t have to go far at all!” Aqua remarked. She cautiously approached the book and saw that it was tattered, but it looked sturdy and old…kind of like the book about the Forbidden Arts. Aqua bent down to pick it up but before she could--a duck dropped right on top of the book, then started to aggressively quack at her.

Aqua had flinched and fallen onto her bottom because she was so shocked, but she quickly got up and dusted herself off her cloak. The duck was still at it with the quacking.

“I don’t want to hurt you…” Aqua said, “But if you’re guarding that book, then…”

“Aqua, get back!” It was Zack’s voice that shouted through the woods.

“We’ll save you, Aqua!” Aerith yelled as she sprinted forward with her staff ready and poised to swing at the duck.

Aqua’s eyes widened as she saw her friends approach with violence in their eyes. “Wait! Stop!”

Just then, the larger bird—the swan—swooped down and fanned out its wings wide. 

Everyone screamed a bit and Aqua backed away from it. Magical or not…this was a huge bird and she didn’t want to mess with it!

“I told you these were bad birds!” Zack said as he rushed with his sword again.

The swan seemed to guess that Zack was coming and grabbed the book in its beak and quickly flew off. Meanwhile the duck hissed at Zack. 

“You mean ol’ thing!” Aerith scolded as she swung her staff—she nearly hit it, forcing the duck to finally retreat and fly away.

“They’re getting away!” Ven cried as he pointed up. 

“I had it covered,” Aqua bitterly said as she began to run after the birds.

“Wait—you’re running after them?” Ven asked as he began to follow Aqua.

“The book looks just like the one Yen Sid gave me! It has to be the sorcerer’s!” she panted. 

Zack and Aerith made shouts of protest while they finished securing the horses Ven left behind.

“Aqua… do you even know where we’re running?” Ven asked between tired breaths. Aqua was well ahead of him as they ran, her legs carrying her faster than he’d ever seen her run with her cloak whipping behind her. She expertly hopped over rocks and branches, sheer motivation getting her through with such speed.

“Just keep following me, Ven!” Aqua shouted. “We have to track those birds down if it’s the last thing I ever—ahh!”

Ven had been several meters behind Aqua and she was sprinting through the woods for one second and then the next—she had disappeared in front of him. 

Ven stopped running and paused to catch his breath. “Aqua! Aqua, where did you go?”

There was no answer, and the woods were eerily quiet. Ven kept following in the direction she ran and gasped when he nearly fell into what was apparently a giant, roaring river.

“Ven!” “Aqua!”

Zack and Aerith had caught up now and were running towards Ven. 

“Ven, where’s Aqua?” Zack asked.

“Watch out!” Ven cautioned as he held his hands out in front of Zack and Aerith, to keep them from running any further.

Aerith’s eyes widened as she peered behind Ven. “A river?”

“Aqua fell!” Ven explained, his eyes growing red with forming tears. “I couldn’t stop her—she was running too fast ahead of me and—“

Zack reached forward and placed a hand on Ven’s shoulder, gently squeezing. “It’s okay, Ven….”

He looked down at the water, and noted how quickly the river flowed. There was no sign of Aqua anywhere, and there was no telling where this river led to… there wasn’t even a sound until they got up close.

“What the hell is going on?” Zack growled.

Aerith sadly looked down at the river. “She’ll…be alright… right?”

Ven walked up to her. “We have to find her, Aerith! We can’t give up on Aqua! Just like she wouldn’t give up on Terra! We won’t give up on either of them!”

“Easy Ven, no one’s giving up on anyone yet…” Zack comforted. He sighed and put his hands on his hips, then glanced up at the sky. “We sure got ourselves in even more of a mess thinking we were closer to figuring this out…”

“These really are enchanted woods,” Aerith said. “A river that pops up out of nowhere and doesn’t make a sound?”

Zack heaved a big sigh, then got started walking. “Come on… let’s follow the river and see where it leads. We’ll hopefully find our Queen there!”

Ven wiped at his eyes and followed Zack. 

Aerith walked next to Ven, and placed an arm around him, gently stroking his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Ven… Aqua is a strong lady! If anyone can get through this, she can! And remember…things are not always what they appear to be in the Mirage Woods…”

“Right,” Ven answered. “Terra and Aqua… we’re going to find you!”  
  


VI.

All Aqua knew was that one second she was running, and the next, she was falling headfirst into a cold river. She lost her breath from the shock of it and her face stung from the impact of getting thrashed against the riverbank by the pounding current. It took her several seconds to even begin to fight against the weight and force of the water that threatened to drown her. 

_I can’t…die here!_ Aqua screamed internally. _I still have to save Terra!_

Aqua used all her might to reach for her cloak and cast it off, removing much of what had weighed her down—then she began to swim to the surface and was able to suck in a breath before getting pushed further down the river. After that, it was just a matter of treading water to keep her head above the surface and trying to avoid slamming into every branch and stone from the riverbank. As the current slowed a bit and Aqua could start riding it out, she shielded her head to try and prevent a concussion and more scrapes than she already received.

The river carried her for a long time and she used all her strength during this time to keep herself steady, until the river slowed enough so that she was able to launch herself onto the muddy bank and climb her way out. She clawed her fingers into the dirt and used a large tree root to leverage herself until she could fling herself onto what seemed to be solid ground.

Aqua could barely move after she had flopped onto her stomach. She was thankful for the leather armor she had on to prevent even more injury to her skin and bones, but she felt thoroughly beat up from the fall.

She rolled herself over with great effort to lie on her back and took in slow, deep breaths. Then she reached into her trouser pocket to feel the wire and amber charm tucked inside. She was surprised that it had survived all of that.

“Terra… this is a sign… I’m going to find you.” Aqua smiled as she held the charm to her chest. Then she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

+

Terra and Donald ended up flying back to the pond after that disaster of an escape plan. Donald refused to speak to Terra the entire time and spent some time alone away from the group while Terra finally got to reading the book.

Terra felt awful for what happened. Donald hadn’t even wanted to fly with him in the first place, and he nearly got whacked by Aerith…although Terra thought he would have got what he deserved after what he did to Zack and Aqua (but he didn’t dare tell Donald that!)

_But… the fact that they’re out here at all… that means they’re onto Xehanort,_ Terra thought to himself. _They might end up finding this place, but… if they’re so close, does that mean they’re in danger?_

In a secluded corner of the pond, Terra tried to look through the book with the help of Chip and Dale turning the pages for him, but… it just looked like a lot of boring history of magic and random spell recipes, and not even all of it was legible because some of the pages were torn. Apart from that, Terra didn’t know what half of the words meant. And even though they flipped through every single page, there was nothing that mentioned his curse or swans.

“Well….that was all for nothing,” Terra moped as he curled up into a ball and lied on the ground.

“No it wasn’t! You got to see your friends again!” Chip protested.

“But Aqua couldn’t tell it was me,” Terra replied with a sigh. “I thought maybe she’d be able to see through the curse, but I guess not…”

“Aw, Terra, don’t feel bad!” Dale tried to comfort as he patted his head.

“Zack almost killed me…I wonder why he was being so hostile? He doesn’t think that I’m the evil one, right?” Terra questioned out loud.

“Well, maybe if your friends are so close you can leave this place as a human and explain everything!” Goofy offered.

“Or he’ll get us killed next time for sure,” Donald squawked.

Terra winced at this remark.

“Aw, you don’t mean that, Donald,” Goofy countered. “And besides, we’re happy to help Terra with his curse!”

“I’m sorry I endangered you, Donald, and potentially the rest of you,” Terra told them as he put his head down.

“At least we tried!” Dale cheerfully told him.

“And you still get to turn into a human at night, Terra…maybe then you can go find your friends!” Chip suggested.

Suddenly, they heard a snicker from within the nearby grass.

It was Xigbar, the ferret. “You’re joking if you think you’ll be able to leave this place tonight. After I tell Xehanort what you all tried to pull, he’s going to lock you up—and he’ll be very pleased to know the Queen of Rainfell is on her way!”

Terra stood up taller and flocked towards the rodent. “You’re not going to tell Xehanort anything.”

“What, are you going to stop me?”

Terra smirked as he approached Xigbar. “I’ve had a bad afternoon—and the last thing I need is an annoying ferret causing even more trouble for me and my friends.”

Xigbar’s eyes widened and he began to retreat in fear. “Aw, c’mon… I was just kidding!”

“Chip, Dale—you know what to do,” Terra told his friends. 

“You got it, Terra!” Chip and Dale saluted him and used the twine from the spellbook to tie up the ferret while Terra pinned him down to the ground. Goofy and Donald also stood close by in case he got free.

“This isn’t fair! I’m just one of me and there’s five of you! Cowards!” Xigbar snapped as he struggled against the twine.

“Hey, Terra, maybe we could do what we planned with the book and take this nuisance far, far, away…” Donald suggested.

“But I’m just a ferret! Xehanort took advantage of me, too, you know… I’m not working for him for no reason!” Xigbar protested.

Terra met eyes with Donald who frowned and shook his head. “Even if that’s true, you still hurt my friends…and I can’t have you threatening my other friends!”

“You’ll regret this!” Xigbar cried as Donald picked up the end of the twine and lifted him off into the air. 

+

When Aqua came to, she was still lying on her back and saw the waning crescent moon above her.

“It’s night already…?” she groaned.

Then she crawled over onto her side and stood up. The stream was calm where she was now, unlike how wild it was before. She felt sore on her forehead and her jaw, and noted that she might have cuts and bruises from her fall.

“At least nothing’s broken,” Aqua said to herself. 

Once she got up, she decided to keep walking along the river, hoping she got somewhere soon—whether that was to her friends or some form of civilization within these woods. She shivered and crossed her arms, wishing she at least had the sun to help dry her clothes. Or that she hadn’t had to abandon her cloak—but that action had probably saved her life.

_Ven, Zack, and Aerith are probably looking for me…_

Aqua hoped that Ven wasn’t too worried about her. He was already scared enough of the Mirage Woods. Aqua cursed herself for making such a stupid mistake of falling into a river because she was single-mindedly running after those birds.

After walking for a long while, Aqua had to split off to follow one of the streams that branched from the river and she found herself on a path towards something imposing in the distance. She thought she was seeing an illusion, when through the shadows of the trees, she spotted what looked like a small castle with a tower. 

“Is that… real?” Aqua asked out loud. “Terra…could you be there?”

She drew her sword and continued to walk with caution. What was a crumbling old castle doing here in the middle of the woods? 

It didn’t take her long to get closer to the castle, and underneath the stars and the crescent moon’s light, Aqua saw a pond that bordered this small, abandoned structure. Flames were lit in several torches around the structure to give it plenty of light, so… someone had to be here, right?

At that moment, Aqua heard the sound of flapping wings and glanced overhead to see both a duck and swan flying over the pond. She watched as the two birds touched down onto the shore. 

_Those have to be the same birds from before! Maybe Zack was right… maybe they are connected to the sorcerer!_

Knowing how aggressive the duck was, Aqua cautiously moved forward into the space. This had to be the sorcerer’s lair…it was the only explanation that made sense!

Aqua brandished her sword and approached the duck—when it saw her, it squawked and flew up for cover in the tree. But when the swan faced her, it seemed to pause. It didn’t move, but ruffled its wings, as if it were surprised. It looked Aqua in the eye—which was strange in itself—and she looked back at it, noting how gentle its blue eyes seemed to be. There was something strangely familiar about it…

Aqua lowered her sword. “I don’t want to hurt you… but… what are you?”

The swan turned away from Aqua and flapped its wings before making a low flight into the pond.

“Wait!” Aqua protested, running a few steps to follow the swan into the shallow water. It didn’t matter that she got her boots wet since she was still drenched from her earlier fall in the river.

The swan had landed in the water and swam in a circle, finally facing Aqua again. She bent her brow in confusion. It was almost like the swan was…waiting for something?

“What do you want?” Aqua asked.

Before she could figure out what it was doing, the swan’s wings began to brightly reflect the moonlight from above. It got brighter and brighter until it started to glow a shining gold and Aqua had to shield her eyes from the intense light. Once the light subsided and Aqua opened her eyes, she saw something that made her lose all her breath.

It was Terra—standing in the pond, surrounded by a glistening string of water that encircled him like a garland and fell back in the pond to create gentle ripples around him. He looked over at Aqua and let out a sigh before smiling. He was wearing the same outfit he had been wearing the last time Aqua saw him—his velvet black jacket over a white blouse, Anachór’s sigil visible on the embroidery of his left breast.

Aqua made a loud gasp and shrank back. She couldn’t believe her eyes! This had to be an illusion…a trick of some sort! They were in the Mirage Woods, after all…

Aqua shook her head and closed her eyes. “I’m seeing things, aren’t I?” 

“Aqua!”

_It’s his voice… Terra’s voice!_

Aqua cautiously opened her eyes, one by one, and still saw Terra standing in the water, giving her a hopeful smile. “…Terra?”

“It’s me, Aqua!” Terra began to walk toward Aqua while she stood frozen in place. But as soon as he got right in front of her, his smile dropped. He stared at Aqua with concern and quietly asked, “Aqua…are you all right?”

Aqua still had trouble breathing and gazed at his face, tentatively reaching up to touch his cheek with her left hand. As soon as she touched his skin, she flinched and shrank back.

“Is it really you?” Aqua gasped out as her eyes began to water. “This isn’t an illusion?”

Terra cautiously moved to grab her hand with his. “Yes, Aqua—I’m here!”

Aqua took her hand away from him and placed it over her mouth as a sob began to build up in her throat. She glanced down and whispered out, “But… the swan…?”

“Yes, I was the swan and I can explain everything, but—“ Terra launched forward and brought Aqua into a strong hug. “Aqua, you’re here!”

As soon as she felt his arms around her, Aqua knew without a doubt. It was Terra.

“Terra!” Aqua sobbed as she dropped her sword from her right hand, letting it sink into the water. Then she wrapped her arms around Terra’s back and cried into his shoulder. 

“I kept believing…I kept believing you were alive!” Aqua cried harder and tightened her grip on Terra. “All this time I didn’t want to think you were dead—I couldn’t… I couldn’t handle that!”

Terra stroked Aqua’s hair and leaned his head against hers. “It’s alright, Aqua. I’m here, and I’m not dead. You found me, Aqua… You found me!”

Terra gripped her more tightly and Aqua let herself lean into his strong hold. She closed her eyes and felt like she could finally breathe for the first time in weeks. After all the searching, all the sleepless nights, all the anger and the anxiety she suffered just from trying to convince herself, let alone her kingdom, that Terra was alive and still worth searching for… it was all worth it for this moment.

Aqua finally pulled away from Terra and wiped her tears with her knuckles after she felt that she had cried enough.

Terra rubbed her arms and stared at her with concern, in that warm way he always did. “You’re so cold, Aqua…! And these cuts and bruises and your clothes… you look like you’ve been through hell!”

Aqua glanced down with a blush. “I… fell in a river.”

Terra fondly breathed out a laugh. “Oh, Aqua… I thought I was the only one who was supposed to do dumb things like that.”

Aqua stared up at him with a bright smile until tears spilled out of her eyes again.

“Hey…” Terra brought her close again and hugged her firmly to him. “I’m here.”

Aqua sobbed against his chest, “This was all my fault… Terra, I am so sorry!“

Terra pulled away just enough to look down at Aqua and give her an offended look. “Hey! Aqua, no—it’s not your fault. Not at all! How could you say that?”

Aqua sniffed, “If I had been more delicate about my refusal to your proposal—or if I had just said yes—you never would have left so quickly! You and King Eraqus never would have been in danger!”

Terra looked at her sadly and sighed. “No, Aqua… It’s not your fault! Besides, Xehanort has been planning his revenge for a long time—he just took an early opportunity to carry it out. ”

Aqua furrowed her brow. “Xehanort? Is that the person who took you?”

“Yeah. He killed King Eraqus. And he took me as a hostage because he’s trying to use me to get power in Anachór. And he knows about you and me, and what happened at the coronation.” Terra glanced down, looking anxious. He stepped away from Aqua and glanced around him, looking past her with an alert gaze. Then he glanced back at her and softened his eyes, though she could still see worry behind them. “Aqua, you’re in danger here. You should go back to Rainfell Castle and warn your kingdom against Xehanort.”

“Let’s both go, then!” Aqua replied as she moved forward and placed a hand on his arm.

Terra glanced down, a somber expression on his face. “I can’t.”

Aqua stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean, you can’t?”

“Aqua… I can’t leave—or else the curse will still be upon me. If I leave this place, I will be stuck to live as a swan—forever,” Terra explained.

Aqua narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Terra sighed. “Xehanort put a curse on me so that I transform into a swan by day and only when the moon appears in the sky and I return to this pond underneath the moonlight…only then am I able to return to my human form. And if I try to leave this place as a human, the moment the sun comes up, I’m back to my swan form.” Terra glanced down again. “Aqua… I’m stuck here until I can figure out how to break this curse—or until Xehanort decides I’m no longer of any use to him.”

“No… I’m not going to let this sorcerer do anything to you!” Aqua fiercely told Terra.

Terra gave Aqua a gentle, but serious, stare. “I appreciate you coming all this way Aqua, I really do! But I can’t leave and it won’t be good if Xehanort finds you. You need to get away from here.”

Aqua shook her head. “No… Terra, why can’t we just go back together? I’ll protect you!”

“Because he’ll follow us,” Terra argued. “Right now he has me, and if he got a hold of you—I’d never forgive myself!”

“Terra, I’m not leaving you!” Aqua protested as she grabbed onto his arm.

“Please, Aqua!” Terra moved out of her grip and glanced down at the water. “I don’t want you to get hurt or killed because of me.”

“Well, I don’t want that for you, either!”

Terra looked back up at Aqua with a soft gaze. “Don’t worry—he wants me alive and I plan to figure out how to break the curse. But I can’t go back home until I make sure he’s not a threat anymore. I have to protect you, too.”

“But I came all this way to save you…” Aqua said, shaking her head. “I can’t just leave you!”

“I know…and I’m sorry,” Terra replied with a pained look. “But I think I’ll be doing more good if I stay here and you go back to Rainfell. You need to go back and let our kingdoms know the truth about who really attacked us that night—he’s planning something. If I can keep him busy here, maybe it’ll buy us some time.” Terra softened his gaze at Aqua. “And… at least I can feel better knowing that you’ll be safe from Xehanort.”

Aqua was frustrated and clenched her hands into fists before gritting her teeth and sighing. She understood this from a tactical point of view, even though she hated it. “Fine, Terra. But as soon as I get word back to Rainfell, I’m coming back for you! We’re in the Mirage Woods, by the way, in the south of Rainfell.”

Terra raised an eyebrow. “Well…that explains a lot.”

Aqua reached into one of her pockets and took the charm necklace out. Then she placed it into Terra’s hand, enclosing his fingers over it. “This is still yours.”

Terra glanced down and smiled wide as he held the amber charm. “Your necklace… I thought I lost it forever!”

Aqua smiled up at him. “Remember what I said all those years ago? This means that we’ll always be in each other’s lives. You’ll come back to me.”

Terra gave her a warm look. “Of course I will.”

Aqua and Terra both stared at each other quietly for a few seconds, until Terra broke their eye contact and cleared his throat. “Hey, Aqua… I never should have asked you to marry me. I’m the one who messed things up between us.”

Aqua’s heart broke at hearing those words. “Terra… No…! Look, I—“

“Aqua, it’s okay if you don’t want to marry me. Really, it is…” Terra quirked the corner of his mouth into a smile that devastated Aqua.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you, Terra,” Aqua said, tears itching at her eyes again. “I hate that the last real conversation we had was an argument.”

“Well, it’s not our last conversation anymore.” Terra smiled and then bent down to pick up Aqua’s fallen sword from the water. He held it delicately by the blade near the hilt and offered it to Aqua.

“Take your sword and go home,” Terra told her. “We can talk more when I come back. But you need to go home, Aqua. Please promise me you’ll leave here and go straight to Rainfell Castle.”

Aqua sighed and frowned, but she looked Terra in the eye. “I will.”

“Good.”

Aqua nodded and took her sword from Terra. Then, “Terra…?”

“Yeah, Aqua?”

Aqua didn’t know what she wanted to say. What could she say to him if this might be the last time they saw each other?

She rushed forward and hugged Terra tightly, careful with her sword still in her hand. Terra hugged her back, and Aqua wished she could stay in his arms forever. She wished she didn’t have to let go.

“Aqua, you have to go,” Terra whispered.

Aqua pulled away from Terra and nodded. Then she gave him a sad smile. “I love you, Terra… Don’t forget that!”

Tears left Aqua’s eyes as she turned around and began to walk away. She bit her lip to keep a sob from escaping her mouth and didn’t dare to turn around—because if she did, she knew she wouldn’t be able to continue on walking.

  
  
  


VII.

Terra watched Aqua as she walked away, his heart swelling from the mix of intense joy he felt from seeing her and being able to hold her again—and the intense pain he felt from having to watch her leave him, wondering if he might never see her again. He had to let her go in order to save her, and he knew it was the only choice he could make—but it still hurt.

As soon as Aqua disappeared from his sight into the darkness of the woods, Terra let the tears well up in his eyes. How badly he wished he could leave with her, or that she could stay with him… but it was too dangerous. Even though Aqua had found him and she could get word back to Rainfell and Anachór, they weren’t out of the woods yet. Not as long as Xehanort lived. 

But Aqua had still cared enough to come find him, against all odds. It was still so hard to believe that this night wasn’t all just a dream. 

“Terra…” It was Goofy who called out to him first.

“You okay?” Chip asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Terra responded as he wiped his tears away with his fingers. 

“Save your tears for later—you’ll see her again,” Donald offered as he flew in to perch on his shoulder.

Terra smiled at Donald. If even Donald was trying to make him feel better, then he must really look pathetic right now.

“Then they’ll be happy tears!” Dale added.

Terra lightly laughed. “Yeah.”

Goofy moved forward and leaned his chin on Terra’s shoe. “Aww, Terra… you’ll be back with Aqua in no time! We just gotta take care of that nasty Xehanort fella first.”

Terra looked down at the necklace charm in his hand and smiled. “Yeah. After that...we’ll be together again.”

+

When Xehanort returned to the pond later that night, a gray little ferret streaked out from behind his neck and gave a gleeful smirk at Terra. It was Xigbar, of course. Terra glared at him.

Xehanort lightly chuckled, “So, you nearly killed my little minion.”

“After he attacked us,” Terra replied.

Xehanort playfully raised an eyebrow. “Well, Xigbar only attacks to protect. So let’s drop the facade—you stole my spellbook.”

“Well, it was useless anyway,” Terra muttered.

Xehanort smirked. “My little friend told me of another important update—Queen Aqua is not too far from this pond. Looking for you.”

“She won’t find me,” Terra lied, making sure to sound hopeless. “Besides, unless she comes at night, I will only ever look like a swan to her.”

“Where is your optimism, boy?” Xehanort asked with a grin.

Terra gave him a hard stare. “I will break the curse on my own. You leave Aqua out of it.”

Xehanort chuckled. “Well, I’ll try my best. But if I can’t gain power through you, marrying a queen would be another avenue to the throne.”

“Aqua would never marry a disgusting snake like you,” Terra scoffed.

“Well, then that would give us something in common, wouldn’t it?”

Terra scowled at Xehanort, whom apparently thought his joke was very clever. 

Xehanort leisurely sighed, “Well, you better hope the young queen doesn’t find this place. It would be in her best interest to go back home. And it would be in your best interest to behave, lest I decided to retaliate by targeting the person who is most important to you.”

“You’ll die before you ever lay a hand on her,” Terra growled.

Xehanort chuckled again. “Well then, young Terra—are you going to fight me again? That didn’t go so well last time, and you are not armed. That would not end well for you.”

Terra stoically stared at him. “But you won’t kill me.”

“Yet,” Xehanort said with a smirk. “Oh, and you’re not going to find the way to break your curse in any spellbook. At least, it won’t be in my library.”

“I figured,” Terra replied as he crossed his arms.

Xehanort walked up close to him, then smiled. “If you’d like, I can tell you how to break the curse.”

Terra narrowed his eyes at the old man. “You would never tell me the truth.”

Xehanort grinned. “Such little faith! As a treat, Prince Terra, for all your valiant efforts, I will tell you how to break the Swan Lake curse.”

Terra frowned at Xehanort.

“The reason that I am perfectly fine with telling you how to break the curse,” Xehanort continued, “is that I am confident you will never be able to do it. Are you sure you would like to know? It may be kinder to leave it a mystery.”

“How do you break the curse?” Terra asked in a bored tone.

“In order to break the Swan Lake curse and return to your human form permanently, you must be in this pond, under the moonlight, and receive a kiss—and not just any kiss—you need to be given a kiss of True Love,” Xehanort explained with a bright look in his eyes.

Terra raised an eyebrow. “A kiss of true love? That’s what breaks the curse?” 

“Since you’re in love with the young Queen Aqua, she would need to find you here and she would need to kiss you under the moonlight in this very pond in order for the curse to be broken. But—It doesn’t work if your love is unrequited. It’s not enough that you love her. She needs to truly be in love with you in return for the kiss to work. And if you can’t find anyone to give you a True Love’s kiss, you will remain a swan until the end of your time.”

“I thought True Love’s Kiss was just a fairytale gimmick,” Terra argued. 

“All fairytales have a seed of truth in them, my boy,” Xehanort said with a wag of his index finger. “And there is no stronger power than the power of True Love. Well, other than the power of the Forbidden Arts, of course.”

Terra frowned. “You’re serious, aren’t you?

Xehanort laughed. “I was there at Queen Aqua’s coronation. Straight from her own lips for all to hear—she is not in love with you, and therefore, she cannot save you.”

Terra felt his stomach drop. What Xehanort said was true…and if he could never find someone to give him True Love’s kiss—he would be stuck like this forever.

“Don’t be so sad, my boy. Few people in this world ever find True Love,” Xehanort told Terra before he walked away.

  
  
  


VIII.

Aqua was glad for the long walk back up the river to giver herself time to cry and privately process her reunion with Terra. That is…before she realized that she was still alone at night in the Mirage Woods and she had no idea how far away her traveling companions were.

_Terra, you really think this is much safer for me?_ she muttered in her head.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wonder about this for very long because she saw a trio of lights moving in the distance. When they got closer, it was apparent that those lights belonged to lanterns like the ones she and her traveling party used. 

She decided to call out, “Hey!”

“Aqua?” one of the voices rang out—and much to Aqua’s relief, it was Ven’s voice!

“Ven!” Aqua called back with a grin as she carefully made her way through the dark up the hilly ground along the river. 

“Queen Aqua!” Aerith called out.

“Your highness!” Zack also happily called to her.

“You all found me here?!” Aqua exclaimed as both Ven and Aerith hugged her.

“We just followed the river, hoping we’d happen upon you eventually—glad we did,” Zack told Aqua with a smile. 

“I’m so happy you’re alive Aqua!” Ven told her as he took off his cloak and gave it to Aqua for warmth.

“Where are the horses?” Aqua asked.

“Uhh… well, we kind of left them,” Zack awkwardly answered. “We were just so worried about you, we didn’t want to lose any time or get split up again.”

Aqua nodded, wondering how they were supposed to camp and if the horses were all right. 

“Are you hurt?” Aerith asked as she put a lantern close up to Aqua’s face. Then she gasped, “Your face, Aqua… all those scrapes!”

“I’m fine!” Aqua quickly replied. Then she suddenly remembered about her meeting with Terra.

“Oh! I have important news! I found Terra,” Aqua blurted out.

“YOU WHAT?!” Zack, Aerith, and Ven all exclaimed at the same time.

+

Aqua relayed the story while the group started the journey upriver. She didn’t know how long it was going to take them to get back and find their horses, but Zack had apparently been keeping track of where they were on the map, drawing the river where it hadn’t been on Aqua’s map.

Aqua kept the more intimate and emotional details out of her retelling of what happened when she met Terra, but was careful to explain as much as she remembered about Terra’s curse—and therefore, the reason he didn’t come back with her.

“Hold up. HE WAS THE SWAN?!” Zack shouted after Aqua concluded her tale.

“That’s the part that you’re shouting about?” Aqua asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

“TERRA WAS THE SWAN—I COULD’VE KILLED HIM!” Zack exclaimed in horror. 

“But you didn’t!” Aqua quickly assured him.

Aerith put a hand up over her mouth as she gasped. “I almost killed him, too! At the very least, I almost killed his duck friend!”

“Terra’s fine, apart from being this guy Xehanort’s hostage.” Aqua sighed. “But he said he was going to buy us time to mess up Xehanort’s plans…that’s why Terra wanted to stay.”

“So he didn’t come back with you because he wanted to protect you,” Zack commented. “Even though he was probably dying to see you and wanted nothing more than to go back home with you…” 

Zack wistfully sighed, and then he met eyes with Aerith as they both said in unison,“True love!”

Aqua blushed and was glad for the cover of darkness to hide it. “Well—that has nothing to do with it—from a tactical standpoint, it’s what any queen or king would have done to protect their kingdom. That’s why we need to get word back to Rainfell.”

“Keep telling yourself that, your highness,” Zack coyly replied as he crossed his arms.

Aqua was about to protest until Ven interrupted.

“But… we came all this way to save him,” Ven sadly said as he crossed his arms. “And do you think he’ll really be alright if we leave him with that sorcerer?”

Aqua sadly glanced back at Ven. “That’s why I want to go back to get Terra right after we warn Rainfell. But that could take days!”

“So let’s have someone go back to warn Rainfell and Anachór—and the rest of us will get Terra back in the meantime,” Zack suggested.

“No one’s going through these woods alone,” Aqua said. “Two people have to go back.”

“Then I’ll stay with you, Aqua! Zack and Aerith can go back,” Ven suggested.

Aqua frowned. “No, Ven! I won’t put you in any more danger than I already have.”

“But—“

“Zack, take Ven and get to Rainfell as fast as you can,” Aqua ordered.

“But if it’s a fight you’re going to have, I should be the one to stay with you,” Zack protested.

Aqua shook her head as she put her hands on her hips. “No—Zack, I want you to go back with Ven because I have so much trust that you will protect him. You are braver and stronger than any other guard I know. And that’s why there is no one else I would rather have go back with Ven.”

Zack sighed and was quiet for a few seconds. “All right. So that means Aerith is staying with you?”

Aerith perked up and nodded. “I’ll take good care of the queen!”

“And I’ll make sure Aerith doesn’t get hurt, either,” Aqua told Zack.

Zack nodded, but Ven pushed past him to get in front of Aqua.

“Don’t I get a say in any of this?!” Ven shouted.

Aqua glanced down at the ground and sighed. “Ven, if you want to help me, you’ll go back home with Zack so that I don’t have to feel worried about you.”

“I want to save Terra too!” Ven argued, tears shining in his eyes. “I never even got to say goodbye to him! If I never see him again, I…”

“Oh, Ven…” Aqua awkwardly moved forward, wondering if she should hug him.

“Aqua, could I make a suggestion?” Aerith quietly cut in.

Aqua’s eyes widened. “Um. Sure…?”

Aerith gave her a calm stare. “It’s clear that Ven is very worried about Terra—and you. He doesn’t want to leave you here alone.”

“Well—“

“And I would prefer not to be separated from my husband,” Aerith added with a steady stare. “So… I will go back to Rainfell with Zack. And Ven will stay here with you.”

Aqua’s jaw dropped, surprised at how Aerith made a decision for the group while being both gentle and authoritative.

“Think about it,” Aerith continued with a tilt of her head as she moved closer to Aqua. “He’d be anxious the entire time worrying about you on the journey back. This will prevent him from worrying about you and I won’t have to worry about Zack.”

“Why would you worry about—oof,” Zack was lightly elbowed by Aerith when he tried to step up to her to object.

Aqua’s cheeks warmed. She recognized the diplomacy of Aerith’s simple words and felt disappointed at herself for not being as calm and collected about what to do in this situation.

“If that’s what you want…” Aqua finally told Aerith, although she still didn’t feel good about letting Ven stay if things got dangerous.

Aerith softened her gaze. “Ven, don’t do anything rash and do everything Aqua tells you. She is your Queen, after all.”

Ven was smiling up at Aerith. “Thanks, Aerith!”

+

When the group finally made it back to where they left their horses—which were miraculously still in the same place they left them—they set up camp, had a very late “dinner” and Ven ended up being the first one to fall asleep. 

Aqua was exhausted, too, but she wanted to make sure she mapped out the place where she found Terra, taking the time to trace all her markings onto a second map since the group was going to be split up. 

Aerith came up to her and offered her a cup of tea. “You should go to sleep, Aqua. This tea will help your wounds heal.”

“Thanks Aerith,” Aqua said as she took the cup from her. Then she swallowed and glanced at Aerith, who was still smiling at her.

“Aerith?”

“Yes?”

“I’m…a bit embarrassed,” Aqua said. “Earlier, you were able to make a decision for me. But you shouldn’t have had to.”

Aerith wrinkled her brow in concern. “Why are you embarrassed?”

“I’m terrible at making decisions,” Aqua sadly admitted. “And you were so much better at coming up with a solution for us—and you barely just met Ven. I’ve known him for years.”

“Of course it’s easier for me! I have an objective point of view with you both,” Aerith kindly told Aqua as she carefully gathered her skirt to sit next to her on the ground.

“Still… I’m sorry you had to be the one to calm things over. That should be something I’m supposed to be good at as a queen,” Aqua told Aerith with a sad look.

“There is nothing to apologize for, Aqua!” Aerith protested as she took Aqua’s hands into her own and gave her an intent stare. “You have so much on your shoulders—you can’t be expected to be calm or be the one to always know how to make things right! You’re a young queen and you didn’t even get a day to settle in until you had to deal with the murder of a king and a missing prince—who is your best friend! That’s not easy for anyone! Right, Zack?”

“…Yeah!” Zack awkwardly touched his neck, as he had tried to appear like he wasn’t listening the entire time while he sat across the campfire between them.

Aqua smiled at Aerith and then over at Zack. “Thank you. I still really appreciate you both being here with me. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you and Ven.”

“Well, we’re here because of you, Aqua!” Zack told her with a warm gaze. “And for what it’s worth, your decisions about Terra never led you astray. You followed your heart and didn’t listen to anyone who told you to give up—and it led you to Terra. I’d say you made the best decision in the world.”

“Thanks, Zack.” Aqua smiled sadly. “Now I just have to figure out a way to get Terra back for good and break this curse he has on him… “

“Aqua, be careful with this sorcerer,” Aerith warned. “Even though Terra is safe, this person still killed King Eraqus and so many guards.”

Zack had a dark look as he stared into the fire. “Just bring Terra home. We’ll deal with the rest later.”

  
  


IX.

The day after Aqua had reunited with him, Terra spent some time alone. He was still processing the fact that Aqua had come to rescue him and grappling with the knowledge that he might not be able to ever break his curse. Aqua didn’t love him in that True Love way that the fairytales all mention—she told Terra to his face. So she couldn’t break his curse… But if Aqua couldn’t break the curse, then who ever could?

Terra sighed during his umpteenth swim around the pond, and his friends felt sad for him as they watched from the willow tree. 

“We should talk to him,” Chip suggested. 

“Why’s he so sad? Just because that girl had to leave?” Donald scoffed.

“I think it’s a little more than that, Donald. I think he loves her,” Goofy suggested.

“Then why did he make her go away?” Donald asked.

“Because he’s protecting her from the big bald meanie!” Dale explained.

“Are… you all talking about me?” Terra asked, making the chipmunks jump.

“Well… we were just concerned. Are you feeling okay after last night?” Chip asked Terra.

Terra glanced down at the water, at his reflection. “I’m going to be a swan forever. There’s no breaking the curse.”

“What?! But there has to be a way!” Dale protested.

“Well, there is…” Terra sighed before he went into explaining it to his friends.

“So you have to get a True Love’s kiss?” Goofy asked.

“What about that girl that came here last night?” Chip suggested.

Terra glanced down at the water. “I love her, but… she doesn’t feel the same way about me.”

Donald scoffed. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Donald!” Chip, Dale, and Goofy all protested.

Donald rolled his eyes. “Well, why would she have come all this way if she didn’t love him?”

“It’s not True Love—not the kind I need, anyway,” Terra explained. “That’s what Xehanort said.”

“Well, what does Xehanort know?” Chip asked.

“Yeah! He’s probably lyin’ to you!” Goofy added.

Terra tilted his head and thought to himself how very possible it could be. But that didn’t change the fact that Aqua still couldn’t return Terra’s feelings. And if the curse could really only be broken by a kiss of True Love, then Terra was stuck.

“And look at that charm Aqua gave you! It stayed during your transformation,” Donald pointed out as he gestured to the necklace that rested on Terra’s chest.

It was true; usually everything Terra wore as a human disappeared when the curse transformed him into a swan. This necklace was the first thing he wore that hadn’t disappeared.

“It has to be the magic of true love!” Goofy suggested. “It’s the only explanation!”

“You really think so?” Terra asked as he used his wing to hold the necklace in front of him.

“If it is, it would be even better to do away with the Queen, then!” said a raspy little voice from behind the stump of the willow tree.

Terra glanced up to see the ferret, Xigbar, peering over at him and his friends. Terra flapped his wings in a threatening stance and approached the ferret with a glare. “What are you doing here?”

Xigbar chuckled and slinked over to the edge of the pond. “It’s true what your friends say—she wouldn’t have come all this way if she didn’t love you. And that’s exactly why Master Xehanort needs to get rid of her!”

Terra approached the ferret in a threatening stance. “The both of you will die before anything happens to Aqua.”

Xigbar slinked back behind the tree and continued in a smarmy tone, “What would be worse for our swan prince? Letting the Queen kiss you and seeing that the curse didn’t break? Or knowing she could break the curse and keeping her away from you forever?”

“Shut up!” Terra said as he launched out of the water and onto the ground. Xigbar sprinted away from him then popped his head up over the grass to send a mean look at Terra.

“Your days are numbered, Prince!” Xigbar spat. “The tables are gonna turn one day soon, and you’ll regret doing what you did to me!”

With that, Xigbar skulked away into the shadows and disappeared for real this time.

+

After night fell and the moon was in the sky, Aqua had returned to the pond with Ven and their horses in tow. The crescent moon had become even thinner tonight, and Aqua wondered what would happen to Terra when the moon went into its dark phase.

“Ven… I know you want to see Terra, but I need you to hang back. In case anything happens,” Aqua told him as soon as she caught first sight of the castle’s shadow.

Ven frowned and made a pout with his lips. “But—“

“You’ll be my backup!” Aqua cheerfully offered. “If anything goes wrong or if that sorcerer shows up, I’ll need you to come and get Terra out of there.”

“And you!” Ven protested, crossing his arms in front of him.

Aqua tilted her head and smiled at him. “Of course, but Terra first!”

Ven sighed. “Okay, so I’ll…keep watch?”

Aqua nodded. “I’ll of course try to make sure the coast is clear first, but I’m going to try and get Terra out of there quick. You just keep out of sight and have the horses ready to go at any time. I won’t be long!”

Ven agreed with a grumble, and secured their two horses together.

Aqua quickly walked the rest of the way to the pond and surveyed her surroundings before entering the mystical place. She still had no idea how it was possible that so many torches were lit around the castle and the pond when it was mostly abandoned—and she doubted Terra would do that. It had to be magic…just like every strange thing in these woods.

When Aqua carefully walked into the entrance from the woods, she didn’t have to look far to find Terra—and she didn’t have to look for a swan—because Terra was already in his human form, sitting on the stone at the edge of the water. He looked so melancholy as he stared up at the sky. But if he was sitting there unguarded, that meant it must be safe.

Aqua quickened her pace and walked up to Terra, calling out for him. “Terra!”

  
  
  


X.

_What am I supposed to do now? Aqua’s going back to Rainfell, I still don’t know what Xehanort is up to, and I’m going to be a swan for the rest of my life!_

Terra glanced up at the crescent moon as he sat at the stone edge of the pond and noticed the bright stars that shined even more vividly in the black sky. He eventually spotted the morning star, the famed ‘wishing’ star he believed in as a child.

“Is it even worth it to wish on a star anymore?” he asked out loud. “I wish… everything could just go back to the way it was two weeks ago. But it can’t, so… I wish that I could see Aqua again, at least one more time.”

“Terra!” 

Terra furrowed his brow. _Did I just make myself hear things…? Because that really sounded like Aqua…_

“Terra…!” This time he heard the sound of shoes running along the stone and he whipped his head around to see Aqua running to him.

Terra’s eyes widened in shock and he quickly stood up. “Aqua? You’re… really here?”

Aqua was catching her breath from running, her cheeks flushed, and her hair tangled and flopping over her eyes. “Yes, I’m here! Ven came with me, too, but he’s waiting where it’s a bit more safe.”

Terra was happy to see her—but he also felt so uneasy at the same time. He looked at her with confusion. “What are you doing here? I thought you—”

“I know you wanted me to go back to Rainfell, but I’m not going back without you!” Aqua quickly closed the distance between them and smiled at Terra. “We’ll find a way to break your curse when we get back home—and we can fight Xehanort together if we need to!”

Terra frowned, his heart sinking in despair because this meant that Aqua wasn’t safe. “You shouldn’t have come here, Aqua. It’s not safe.”

Aqua’s smile dropped and she looked serious once more. “Well…that’s why I came back. To bring you home, where it _is_ safe.”

Terra sighed. “You should have been home already. Why didn’t you listen to me?”

Aqua glared at him. “I don’t care if you’re mad at me, Terra—I won’t leave you here!”

“I’m not mad, Aqua. I’m just…worried.” Terra glanced down. “Anyway, I already know how to break the curse.”

Aqua lost her frustration and raised her eyebrows. “You do? What is it?”

“Xehanort told me last night.” Terra sadly glanced at Aqua. “The only thing that will break the curse is True Love’s kiss. Someone who I truly love and who is truly in love with me in return… will have to kiss me in this pond, underneath the moonlight.”

Aqua’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Oh…”

“Listen, I know you’re not in love with me, so it wouldn’t work if you did it,” Terra said as he turned away.

Aqua followed him and gently placed a hand on his back. “Terra…”

Terra felt a tightness in his chest as he tried not to let himself get overwhelmed by his emotions. “I’ll just have to try and find something else, some other way to break the curse.”

“Terra, turn around,” Aqua quietly told him.

Terra did as she said, and he gave Aqua a discerning gaze as she pulled him by the wrist, walking them both into the knee-deep shallow end of the pond. Aqua’s cheeks were rosy even in the low-level moonlight, and it looked like she was doing her best to not look Terra in the eye.

“Aqua… what are you doing?” Terra asked.

“What if I…” Aqua swallowed as she finally looked him in the eye. “What if I tried it?”

“…What?” It was Terra’s turn to blush.

Aqua bashfully glanced down. “Well… I could—“

Terra didn’t hear what she said next, because he thought he heard something rustle in a nearby tree and whipped his head around to look for the source of the noise. His heart pounded against his chest. What if it was Xehanort?

Terra turned his head back to face Aqua—and he took hold of her arm. “You have to leave—now!”

Aqua looked at him in confusion and shook her head. “But—“

“Xehanort could be here—you have to get out of here!” Terra whispered.

“No, I won’t leave you!” Aqua whispered back.

Terra gave her a distressed stare. “ _Please, Aqua!_ If he finds you, there’s no saying that he won’t do the same thing to you that he did to me—or worse.”

“Then let’s fight him together!” Aqua argued.

Terra shook his head. “He’s not an ordinary human, Aqua. He could hurt you without even lifting a blade.”

“I don’t care! Terra—ahh!” 

Aqua made a sound of protest as Terra took her by the arm towards the way she came and rushed to hide within wild grass and bushes that bordered the pond. Terra crouched down and made Aqua also crouch down next to him as he looked to see if anyone was around. Terra tensely kept quiet and Aqua stayed alert and silent as she followed his lead.

When it seemed that all was clear and no one was there with them, Aqua angrily told Terra, “I’m not leaving you here again!”

“Yes, you are,” Terra argued in a whisper.

Aqua sighed and lost her angry look. “Terra… Don’t you want to come back home?”

Terra noted how much softer her voice got and glanced at Aqua with a gentle look.“I do…more than anything! But if I want to protect you, I can’t lead Xehanort back to you. Why didn’t you go home, like I asked?”

“Zack and Aerith went back to warn Rainfell, like you asked,” Aqua shortly replied.

“I asked you to promise me that _you_ would go back to Rainfell.” Terra slapped a palm on his forehead. “The main point of asking you to go home was so that _you_ could go home, Aqua!”

“Oh, do we really have time to argue about this right now, Terra?” Aqua argued in a whisper.

“I’m only arguing because—“ Terra briefly glanced down and swallowed, his heart still beating fast from his fear that Xehanort might be close by. “Aqua, I’m terrified of losing you. I don’t care what happens to me—but if anything happened to you, I’d—”

“I’m terrified of losing you, too, Terra!” Tears were shining in Aqua’s eyes. “This is why I came back for you… I’m scared if I leave, I’ll never see you again!”

Terra reached forward and tenderly cupped Aqua’s face. “Please…if this is the last thing you ever do for me, just go home. So that I can know you’re safe.”

“Terra…no!” Aqua said with a shake of her head.

Terra sighed and took his hand away from Aqua’s face. “Listen, if you want to help me and make sure the bad guy doesn’t come after me again… you have to let me stay and take care of him. He would follow us if I left with you. He knows how to find me, no matter how far I go. I can’t risk him doing any harm to you or anyone else. Ven is with you, right?”

“He is… But are you sure there is no other way? What if we fought Xehanort together?”

“The first time I tried to fight him, he turned me into a swan. He’s powerful, Aqua—he has these magic powers and he could and _would_ hurt you just to get me to cooperate with him.” Terra sighed and reached for Aqua’s face again, his eyes growing misty from the tears that begged to come out. “Please tell me you understand why I want to stay… It’s not that I don’t want to go with you—you don’t know how badly I wish I could! But I’d rather be separated from you knowing that you were safe than risk putting you in more danger. As much as I want to be with you, Aqua, I need you go to back without me. Please.”

Terra and Aqua held an intense stare until Aqua finally sighed and let her head hang down. “Then…if it has to be that way, take my sword.” She reached for the sword at her side and unbuckled it from her belt. She held it out to Terra.

Terra’s eyes grew wide. “Aqua, no—how will you protect yourself, then?”

“I’ll be fine—I still have my bow. You’re the one who’s unarmed.” She pressed the hilt of her sword into Terra’s hand. “I’m with you, Terra.”

Terra looked at Aqua with so much fondness. He couldn’t come up with any words—but he felt it in the moment—he loved her. 

Terra loved how fierce, kind, strong, and compassionate Aqua was—all at the same time. It’s the way she’s always been. It was the most beautiful thing about her. All of this was apparent in the simple act of pressing her sword’s hilt into Terra’s hand, and it gave him such a good feeling in his heart.

_…Is this what True Love feels like?_ Terra asked himself.

“Terra?” Aqua questioned, breaking him out of his daze.

Terra simply smiled at her. “I love you, Aqua.”

Aqua’s fierce look cleared and her eyes softly widened, her lips parting with a quiet gasp.

Terra brought himself back to the present, reminding himself that Xehanort could be there at any moment. He brought a hand over Aqua’s, which was still holding the sword. He gently squeezed it before whispering, “Aqua… go now!”

Aqua nodded and moved to stand, then hesitated. She was staring at Terra, and then she quickly leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead. 

“Come back to me,” Aqua whispered before standing up and running back into the woods in the direction she arrived.

Terra wordlessly nodded, although Aqua was already out of his sight. He was dumbstruck from her kiss and remained crouched in place.

_That didn’t count… right? We weren’t even in the water, so maybe that wouldn’t have worked even if it was a real True Love’s kiss…but Aqua kissed me on the forehead—what does that mean?_

“Swan Prince! Where are you hiding?” Xehanort called for Terra. He sounded impatient.

Terra had to shake his thoughts away from Aqua and focus on keeping Xehanort occupied. He emerged from the dense foliage of his and Aqua’s hiding place and saw the old man with his hands behind his back, a scowl on his face.

Terra walked out with a hard look matching Xehanort’s. “What do you want now, old man?”

Xehanort snorted and grinned. “Brazen as ever, I see.”

Terra didn’t respond.

Then Xehanort started to saunter up close to him. “She was here, wasn’t she?”

“Who?” Terra said, trying to play dumb. 

“You’re a terrible liar, Prince Terra. Your eyes betray everything you feel.” Xehanort shook his head and chuckled. “You also have a sword on you _—_ unless you magically conjured that out of thin air.”

_Maybe played that a bit too dumb…_ Terra thought to himself.

“Your Queen, your beloved Aqua… she was here,” Xehanort continued. “And she has a boy with her, waiting not too far.”

Terra gasped, then scowled at Xehanort. “If you touched either of them—“

“Relax, I have done no such harm to Aqua or the boy. Ventus, was that his name? My business tonight is with you.”

Terra frowned and grit his teeth. “What do you even want with me? You turn me into a swan for laughs and to keep me from going back to Anachór… but what is it all for? Why do you even need me alive?”

Xehanort leisurely sighed. “The laws of illusion spells are finicky. Unfortunately, I need you alive in order to disguise myself in your image.”

“That’s your plan? To disguise yourself as me…?” Terra asked.

Xehanort exasperatedly waved a hand as he began to pace. “It was supposed to be Eraqus, but that fool… he got in the way and sacrificed his life to save you.”

“He did…?” Terra didn’t remember much from the attack that night, he was struck unconscious right after getting out of the carriage. He hadn’t even seen what hit him.

“As abrasive as he can be, that man truly loved you,” Xehanort continued. “‘Not him!’ were the last words Eraqus spoke before I struck him down.”

Terra felt his heart sink. “So you really _were_ going to kill me…”

“Yes, I previously perceived you as just another pawn on the board,” Xehanort explained with a casual shrug of his shoulders. “It would have been easier to gain power over Anachór in the false guise of King Eraqus, but since the fool got himself killed, I had to use you instead. But you have pleasantly surprised me, Prince Terra!”

Xehanort grinned at Terra, and Terra just scowled back at him.

“You have actually turned out to be much more useful to me than Eraqus alone would have been. Your ties to Queen Aqua of Rainfell might prove to give me even more power than I could have had by taking Eraqus’ place. Once I marry her, of course,” Xehanort said with a light chuckle.

Terra placed a hand on the hilt of Aqua’s sword. Hearing those words come out of Xehanort’s mouth made him want to gag. “She wasn’t going to marry me. What makes you think she’d marry you?”

“Because I know you truly love her and she truly loves you, too,” Xehanort answered.

Terra tensed his brow in confusion. “What? I thought you said—“

Xehanort shook his head in exasperation. “You’re a fool.”

Terra’s blood went cold. “What do you mean?”

“You’re both so young and foolish,” Xehanort said with a soft chuckle. “Even if the young queen doesn’t see it herself, and even if she broke your heart and told you she wasn’t in love with you, that doesn’t mean that what she said is true.”

Terra’s eyes widened. _Could Aqua really be in love with me?_

He shook his head. “No, you’re just saying that. To try and trick me.”

Xehanort smirked and then shrugged before crossing his arms. “Believe me or not. But if she does truly love you, it appears that she got very close to rescuing you tonight. But unfortunately for you, I am not going to ever allow her the chance to save you again.”

Terra took Aqua’s sword out of its scabbard and then glared at Xehanort. “I would die before I let anything bad happen to Aqua!”

“Don’t get any silly ideas boy,” Xehanort said with a narrow of his eyes. “If you die, I may not be able to impersonate you, but your kingdom will have no ruler and I will still be alive. There are other ways for me to get what I want—and I would simply move on to using your precious Queen Aqua to do my bidding.”

Terra growled at Xehanort, “Why are you even doing all this? For power? Just leave me and Aqua alone!”

“The truth may surprise you, and change your perception of your father,” Xehanort said as he started to pace again. “I was once his right-hand man, a very long time ago. To make a dreadfully long story short, King Eraqus betrayed me and took everything from me—all because he could not handle the fact that I chose to tap into the Forbidden Arts to help his kingdom prosper and conquer his enemies. Because of his pride, Eraqus banished me from the kingdom—leaving me with nothing and erasing my name out of his history… allowing the world to believe that it is the strength of his armies that gave Anachór all the power it has now. He covered up the secret of his success by throwing me out of the kingdom.” Xehanort sauntered closer to Terra, and gave him an evil smirk. “So now, I am going to take and corrupt everything Eraqus cherished and prove that he was wrong—and that the Forbidden Arts will give me greater power than he ever dreamed of.”

Terra stepped away from Xehanort and furrowed his brow in anger. “That’s it? That’s why you’re hurting so many people? To prove you were right to a man who’s dead? That’s so…stupid!”

Xehanort quietly chuckled, and then shook his head. “And after banishing me…Eraqus went and picked up a little whelp from an orphanage to prove a point to his kingdom… or merely to secure a successor who would grow up to fear him and therefore adhere to his shrewd and heartless style of reign. That he cared for you at all is truly a miracle.”

“Shut up…” Terra said in a low voice. “Don’t talk as if you know what my life or what my relationship with my father was like.”

“But I _do_ know all about your life, Prince Terra,” Xehanort told him while pointing a finger at him. “I’ve watched you for some years now. You’re the very opposite of King Eraqus. Take it as a compliment!”

“I said shut up…!” Terra rushed with his sword bared, and then swung up at Xehanort, but Xehanort guarded with a large sword he summoned out of the air.

Xehanort smirked as he pushed against Terra’s sword. “If only I could have made Eraqus the swan… Seeing all your agony, how I would have preferred to savor his agony for years to come!”

Terra broke away and then slashed down again, but Xehanort countered and parried until Terra was hit with a painful dark spell that Xehanort shot from his palm into his stomach.

Terra fell to the ground and grunted in pain as Xehanort calmly walked over to him. “You can’t defeat me, Prince Terra.”

Terra looked up and gave Xehanort a fierce glower, gritting his teeth.

“But I must say, I commend you for still trying,” Xehanort continued.

Terra quickly moved into a lunge and lashed out again to strike at Xehanort—only to get knocked down by dark magic once again. This time Terra had fallen onto his face and scraped his chin on the stone floor. But he noticed that Xehanort was beginning to breathe out hard himself.

“It’s not over yet, old man!” Terra reached for his sword again and slowly brought himself up to a stand, one leg at a time.

“Why won’t you ever learn? You cannot defeat me!” Xehanort sneered at him. He formed another dark spell in his hand, ready to direct it at Terra.

As Terra prepared to guard against another spell, he heard a duck’s loud squawk and saw Donald come careening from the sky to fly into Xehanort’s face. At the same time, the chipmunks sprinted along the ground to climb up Xehanort’s limbs, biting and scratching at any unguarded flesh they could find. Meanwhile, Goofy spun on the round part of his shell in an attempt to cause Xehanort to stumble.

Terra gaped in shock and fear for his friends. He hadn’t expected them to intervene, and it was too dangerous! Xehanort grew angry and retaliated by tossing the chipmunks to the side like they were nothing—and then Donald and Goofy were also swatted and kicked aside, their sharp cries of pain causing Terra anguish.

“No!” Terra screamed.

“Your pesky little animal friends tried to help you?” Xehanort chuckled.

“Leave them alone!” Terra made another rush and would have struck Xehanort’s heart—if Xehanort hadn’t summoned what looked like a glowing purple orb of fire in front of him, which stopped Terra’s sword and froze it in motion.

“What the…?” Terra got thrown back by a burst from this magical orb exploding. He had the wind knocked out of him as he lied on the ground. 

Xehanort calmly walked over to Terra and stretched out a hand for him.

Terra glowered up at him and answered once he could breathe normally again. “I can get up just fine without your help.”

“Why must you make everything so difficult?” Xehanort grunted out a sigh. He lunged forward and grabbed Terra’s hand. Before Terra could pull away, Xehanort sliced a blade along the center of Terra’s palm.

“Augh!” Terra groaned in pain as Xehanort sliced his own palm and then pressed it to Terra’s at the identical wound, holding on tight to his hand. 

Xehanort began to speak a strange language that Terra didn’t understand, but he figured it must have been the incantation of a spell. Terra tried as much as he could to pull away, but it was like an unnatural force kept him bound to Xehanort.

Before long, a glowing light consumed both of them and Terra was blinded as it got brighter and brighter. When the light subsided and his hand was finally free, Terra first gazed at his bleeding palm, and then he looked up to see—

“No…” Terra softly let out as his stomach sank.

“Under the light of the dying crescent, the final sliver of moonlight before a new cycle begins,” Xehanort told him. “All I needed was your blood to complete the spell.”

Terra gaped in horror as he saw a twisted mirror reflection of himself— with the exception of Aqua’s necklace and Xehanort’s golden eyes replacing his blue ones. Still, it was like looking in a mirror, even down to Terra’s clothes with Anachór’s sigil… it was so unnerving.

“I’m sorry you had to suffer this way, dear boy,” Xehanort told Terra—not looking sorry at all. “If your keeper King Eraqus had more properly taken precautions, you might have been spared this fate. Perhaps I could have even joined forces with you when you became King. But alas…” 

Xehanort looked and sounded just like Terra as he said all of this, which made Terra’s skin crawl in horror.

“What are you going to do?” Terra asked.

Xehanort turned to face him with a twisted smirk. “I’m going to become the King of Anachór. And a king wouldn’t be complete without a queen, don’t you think?”

“You leave Aqua out of it!” Terra growled as he moved to rush him again.

“Time’s up!” Xehanort reached a hand up to the sky and sent a dark burst of energy that formed into dark clouds overhead. Terra felt his body instantly warp and transform until he was a swan again, gliding onto the ground where he had just stood.

Xehanort laughed, “That will take care of you for tonight. And the new moon phase that begins tomorrow night will give you no light to transform into a human for the next few nights.”

Terra fumed at seeing such a sinister expression on the man wearing his face. With anger fueling him, he started off in a quick flight, aiming to attack at Xehanort’s face.

“Don’t make me strike you down in your bird form, Prince!” Xehanort warned as he batted Terra away with his sword, forcing him to splash into the pond to save from hitting the ground.

“Worry not. I’ll take care of your Queen Aqua. That is, before I make her and the entirety of Rainfell submit to me.” Xehanort reached over to pick up Aqua’s sword that had fallen during his and Terra’s previous battle. He turned to Terra and gave him a smile. “So long, Swan Prince.”

Xehanort opened a dark portal. Before he entered, he stopped and snapped his fingers. “Xigbar, take care of our royal guest.”

“Yes, Lord Xehanort,” a raspy voice answered as Xehanort disappeared into the black and purple flames. 

Terra looked around for the ferret and instead found a man in a black cloak—a human! He had the same gray and white hair as Xigbar, and the same golden eyes that he had in his ferret form. The twisted smirk on his thin lips fit the rodent’s obnoxious attitude as well. 

“Xigbar?” Terra questioned. “How the hell—“

“Didn’t I say the tables would turn one day?” Xigbar teased.

Terra was still frozen in shock when Xigbar unexpectedly threw what looked like a net onto him. Terra struggled against the heavy trap while it weighed him down in the water. He heard the splash of footsteps in the pond and glanced up to see that Xigbar had a crossbow pointed down at him.

“I wouldn’t try anything if I were you, _your highness._ I might not get to kill you, but I could still hurt you.” Xigbar sinisterly chuckled as he hovered over him.

“Wait until I get out of here!” Terra threatened as he thrashed in the water—although that seemed to make things worse for his situation, since the net just got more tangled around his webbed feet.

“Fighting words from a helpless swan prince? I’m _soooo_ scared,” Xigbar taunted.

Terra tried not to struggle too much more as Xigbar picked him up, taking him who knows where. 

_Aqua, I’m sorry… I failed to protect you!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I previously said chapter 3 might be the final chapter lol but I can't help myself and wrote so much that this is going to be a large chapter, and chapter 4 will actually be the final act! Anyway, sorry for the delay...life got real chaotic for me the last couple months (as I'm sure it did for most), but I really loved writing this chapter and it has some of my favorite scenes of this entire story! ♥


	4. The Prince's Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1-Thank you so much to everyone who had the patience to wait for the final chapter  
> 2-You will be greatly rewarded because this is the BIGGEST chapter yet and I took extra time to make it something I was really happy with. I hope everyone else likes it, too! ♥

I.

Aqua sighed as she sat along the stone of a large window in the castle, watching the sun drop low in the distance. Rainfell Castle was purposely built to be so far away from the actual gate that it could not be seen well from outside the castle grounds, but there was a random stairwell in one of the tallest towers that gave Aqua a clear view of the main castle gate.

Two days had passed since she and Ven returned to Rainfell Castle, and still no sign of Terra. She didn’t expect him to return right away, but the hours spent anticipating his return felt twice as long as normal. Aqua thought it almost felt worse to wait for Terra to come back to the castle, now that she knew where he was—but when would he return? That she could never know.

“We’ll stay in Rainfell until Terra returns, then,” Aerith had offered to Aqua, after she and Zack greeted her and Ven with a disheartened welcome. “We can send word about Xehanort to Anachór through a royal courier.”

“Are you sure? I mean, Anachór might need their Captain of the Guard back,” Aqua protested with a heavy look in her eyes. “I don’t want to keep you away for much longer than I already have.”

“I’m the Captain of the _Prince’s_ guard, Aqua—and my post is where my Prince is at,” Zack replied with an emphatically raised fist. “I’m not leaving Rainfell until Terra gets back.”

Aqua nodded and tried to smile at both Zack and Aerith. “Well, if you’re going to stay, then I insist on you both staying in the castle.”

“Oh, we thank you for your kindness, Queen Aqua—but we would prefer to stay in the village,” Aerith politely declined.

“Oh—but you are more than welcome to stay in the castle! Really!” Aqua reiterated with a bright smile.

“Oh, please don’t take offense!” Aerith said as she moved forward to grasp Aqua’s hands. “It’s just… nicer to stay in the village. There’s more privacy.” Then Aerith grinned up at Zack, and Aqua thought she saw him blush.

“Oh…” Aqua said, blushing herself, trying to understand what Aerith meant.

“Oh, don’t get any dirty thoughts!” Aerith giggled. “What I mean is that it feels better to do what we want when we want! When you’re in a castle, you get invited to dinners, people check in on you—and it’s all very nice to be a guest! But… I think Zack and I could use some time to ourselves.”

“Oh… I guess you have a good point,” Aqua awkwardly replied with a smile. “Must be nice to have your own time together.”

“Well, I’m only on my own time because my Prince isn’t here to give me orders,” Zack said with a sad purse of his lips. 

“So we’ll enjoy the silver lining of having that time for a little bit, right Zack?” Aerith asked.

“Right.” Zack turned back to Aqua and knelt in reverence. “Queen Aqua, it has been a pleasure to serve you these last few weeks. Please don’t lose hope.”

Aqua nodded with a smile. “Thank you, Zack. I won’t.”

Meanwhile, Ven returned to the stables almost immediately after they arrived. He told Aqua that he wanted to be back at work, but Aqua guessed that it was only to keep himself busy, so that he didn’t have as much time to feel sad about Terra still being gone. Aqua didn’t blame him.

But now, she was alone in her castle with all too much time to feel sad about Terra.

Aqua glanced at the darkening sky, breaking from her deep thoughts—and she noted that this was the second evening in a row that the moon didn’t appear in the sky. That meant that Terra would still be a swan right now. All alone in those woods. With that evil sorcerer.

Aqua reached for the wooden charm on her necklace and thought of Terra. “Terra, stay safe…”

+

Terra had spent the last two days confined in what was apparently a torture chamber—a deep, dark well, with a grate at the very top that blocked almost all light from entering. Xigbar had dumped Terra in there the night that Xehanort had cast his illusion spell. Terra quickly discovered that there was no way out of the dark well, except through that grate at the top.

Xehanort clearly wanted to keep Terra from trying to warn Aqua, but he also needed to keep Terra alive, so Xigbar came to feed him scraps of food each night. Between the solitary confinement and being subjected to Xigbar’s taunting on a nightly basis, Terra wasn’t sure which form of torture was worse.

“Come and eat, Swan Prince!” Xigbar had just arrived for the third night in a row, dropping down a bucket filled with apple chips that splashed Terra in the face. 

Terra glared at the apple chips and then sent the same look up at Xigbar.

“What? Not hungry?” Xigbar said with a laugh.

Terra didn’t answer.

“Don’t get any crazy ideas like starving yourself. Remember, if you die, Xehanort can still take advantage of your precious little queen,” Xigbar sneered.

“So you’re just here to make sure I stay alive?” Terra bitterly replied. Somehow, Xigbar was able to still understand him as a swan.

Xigbar put a hand on his hip and shrugged. “Master’s orders.”

“How did he become your master anyway?” Terra asked. “Are you originally a human like me? Or were you always a ferret until Xehanort came along and changed you?”

Xigbar smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know…”

Terra frowned and sighed. He glanced at the apple chips that bobbed in the dark water, but he still didn’t want to eat them.

“What I don’t get is why you would voluntarily choose to work with him,” Terra told Xigbar. “What are you getting out of it?”

“I’m the old man’s right hand man! His power is my power.”

Terra scoffed. “In the end, you’re just helping him get what he wants and I bet he’s going to drop you as soon as he has no use for you. He won’t give you what you want.”

Xigbar smirked. “But he already has—he made me human!”

Terra’s strategy worked. “So you really _are_ a ferret… why did you want to become human?”

Xigbar grunted, likely annoyed at having been tricked into telling the truth. 

“Well?” Terra asked. “There’s gotta be a reason you’re using all that human potential to babysit a swan and feed me every night…”

Xigbar growled, “Oh, this is just a bit of dirty work before I get the true gift of power that Xehanort promised me.”

“Power? Xehanort wants to be the ruler of Anachór. It’s not like he would let you rule beside him,” Terra told Xigbar.

“I don’t have any interest in being a stupid king—I want the true power, the Forbidden Arts!”

“And what good is that power to you when you can’t use it?” Terra asked.

Xigbar scowled at him. “Who says I can’t?”

“You can use magic?”

“Anyone can, if they know how! Xehanort is going to teach me,” Xigbar smugly replied.

“So _that’s_ what he promised you?” Terra asked.

Xigbar narrowed his eyes at Terra. “Now you’re just being nosy. Think you’ll figure out something and get me to turn on Xehanort? As if!”

“And what makes you so sure that as soon as he gets what he wants, he won’t just turn you back into a ferret and leave you?” Terra asked.

“He wouldn’t!” Xigbar retorted.

“Are you sure about that?” Terra was smiling, although he was sure Xigbar wouldn’t see it.

“Shut up!” Xigbar shut the grate and Terra was left in the dark again. 

+

Meanwhile, Terra’s friends watched from the edge of the pond as Xigbar stalked out of the tower, for the third night in a row.

Donald, Goofy, Chip, and Dale still had no idea what happened to Terra after he was captured and they needed to spend the first night and day after their scrape with Xehanort to recover from the bruises the sorcerer had dealt them.

“There has to be a way to get Terra out of there!” Chip exclaimed as he sat with Dale, Donald, and Goofy up in the branches of the willow tree.

“But what can we do? Last time, Terra was the one who helped us get in and out,” Dale answered with a sad frown. 

“We don’t need Terra—we can be a rescue team all by ourselves!” Donald interjected

“But Donald, none of us were able to get past Xigbar when he was a ferret—not until Terra joined us,” Goofy added. “Now that mean ol’ ferret’s a human—and he’s a lot bigger!”

“It doesn’t matter!” Donald argued with a shake of his head. “We need to get Terra out of there!”

“Wow, Donald, you must really care about Terra,” Chip remarked with astonishment.

“I do not,” Donald said as he turned away from the others. “It’s just the right thing to do!”

Goofy laughed, “Aww, Donald, you don’t have to say it, but we know that you like Terra, too…”

Dale grinned at Goofy and added, “Yeah, Donald—no point in trying to act like you don’t!”

Donald turned up his chin. “Well, we already lost our king… we can’t lose a prince, too!”

Chip smiled at Donald. “Agreed!”

“But, uh, fellas… how are we going to defeat Xigbar and get Terra out if we don’t even know where he is?” Goofy asked.

II.

On the third morning after her return, Aqua woke up to the sound of a fanfare. If she could hear it from her bedroom, it had to be the one for visitors who were usually welcomed with a formal introduction. It was certainly loud enough for an important visitor, anyway. 

_But… who could be visiting? And why at this hour?_

Aqua raised her head up from her pillow and squinted her eyes. She had barely been able to go to sleep at an ungodly hour of the night and it now seemed to still be early in the morning, the sun having just risen.

Before Aqua could go back to sleep, her ears were flooded by the sound of heavy steps running to her chamber, and then an urgent pattering of knocks on her door. “Your majesty! The… Prince… Prince Terra… he has… ahem…!”

It sounded like this attendant was out of breath and wheezing between words. Aqua rolled out of her bed and groaned as she straightened her pajamas out. Then she walked to open the door and saw a young girl in a maid’s uniform with a blue ribbon in her hair. She looked no older than Ven.

Aqua gazed at the girl with concern. “Please wait until you catch your breath, then you can tell me the news.”

The maid took a few more breaths and straightened up, clearing her throat. “Your majesty, Prince Terra has returned!”

Aqua’s eyes widened. “What?”

The maid grinned and nodded her head rapidly. “Yes, my Queen! He has asked to see you! He’s in the receiving chamber.”

Aqua shook her head. “I must still be dreaming!”

“Your highness, this is no dream! Prince Terra is indeed back at Rainfell Castle! It's a miracle!” The young maid was grinning wide. 

Aqua blinked several times and even pinched the back of her hand, testing how awake she really felt. She was too exhausted for this to be a dream. ”Terra… he’s here?”

“Yes! And he would like to see you, your highness!”

Aqua took in a deep breath and smiled, her heart beating wildly in anticipation. 

She shook her head again. “I can’t believe it!”

“Please do! I was told to come and get you as quickly as I could!” her maid added.

“Right! Oh—should I… get dressed? Well, I mean, Terra won’t care what I’m dressed in, right?“ Aqua put a hand over her mouth as she realized how widely she was smiling—to be able to talk about Terra being back at the castle!

Aqua barely brushed the tangles out of her hair with her fingers before running out of her room in her pajamas—silken shorts and a plain oversized blouse over a camisole—without any shoes on. 

“Your grace!” the young servant cried out as she followed Aqua out of her chambers.

Once Aqua rounded the final staircase and ran through the hallway of the receiving chamber, she caught her breath and stopped herself before throwing open the heavy double doors. And in front of her, facing the yellow and green stain-glass windows, was Terra. He had Aqua’s sword in his hand.

“Terra!” Aqua cried out. “Terra, you’re here!”

He stood with his back facing Aqua, and turned around once she called out to him. “Aqua?” 

“Terra… you’re really here? You’re not an illusion?” Aqua asked as she approached him more slowly now. Then she gasped. “And… you’re human?!”

“Yes, to all those questions,” Terra calmly replied with a smile.

Aqua smiled back and launched forward to wrap Terra into a hug, careful of the sword in his hand. “Terra! I almost thought I’d never see you again!”

“It’s all right, Aqua…. I’m here,” Terra said as he slowly brought his arms around her back.

“How did you get back so soon?” Aqua asked as she slightly pulled away from him. “Is Xehanort still a threat? Did you escape him? How are you human? I thought—“

“Whoa! Slow down with all the questions,” Terra said with a laugh. He smiled at her, the golden glint in his irises boring into Aqua.

And that’s when Aqua realized that something _was_ different about Terra.

“Terra…!” she gasped. “I thought it was just the light from the glass, but… your eyes…”

Terra’s eyes widened and he briefly touched a hand to his cheek. “Oh… is there something wrong?”

“They’re gold!” Aqua exclaimed. Then she set her mouth into a concerned frown. “Is it the curse?”

“I broke the curse, Aqua,” Terra said with a reassuring raise of his eyebrow.

Aqua was still frowning. “But how? I thought you said the only way to break it was—“

“I guess killing Xehanort did the trick,” Terra said with a shrug.

“You killed him?” Aqua asked with a gape of her mouth.

“Yeah… thanks to you!” At that moment, Terra handed Aqua’s sword back to her. He didn’t have her belt or the scabbard, but held it bare.

Aqua took the sword from terra by the hilt and looked back at him with confusion. “It was that easy?”

“Yeah,” Terra smiled.

“But I thought—“

“Listen, Aqua—“ Terra placed both hands on Aqua’s arms and stared at her with an intense gaze. “We’re together now and Xehanort will never be a threat to us again.”

Aqua exhaled and smiled up at him. “So it’s really over…”

“Aqua…” Terra reached a hand up to cup her face and softly stroked the hair behind her ear. “Thank you for coming after me.”

Aqua blushed at the touch and a chill ran up her spine. She didn’t know why this made her have that response, flashing back to the memory of when Terra did the same thing that last night she saw him—and that touch felt warm and she felt safe every time Terra held her—but now…why did she feel so uncomfortable?

“Oh—well, you’re welcome,” Aqua nervously sputtered out. “I mean, I wish I had been able to bring you back with me—but I guess you didn’t need me after all.”

Terra shook his head. “On the contrary—it was only because you came to find me that this was even possible. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Aqua!”

Aqua sheepishly smiled, meanwhile she heard Yen Sid clear his throat from behind her. She almost forgot he was even in the same room this whole time.

“Prince Terra,” Yen Sid addressed him with a bow. “I am glad to see that you are doing well, and you look no worse for wear. I express my sincerest condolences for the loss of our dear King Eraqus.”

Terra lost his light look and glanced down. “Yes… it was a loss for very many people, wasn’t it?”

“We don’t have to speak further on it at the moment, but I am grateful that you are alive and unharmed. King Eraqus had much faith that you would be ready for this moment—although I don’t believe that any of us expected it to arrive so soon.”

“Yes, well… I am ready to take up my responsibility as King of Anachór as soon possible.” Terra gave a respectful nod to Yen Sid.

Aqua looked between Yen Sid and Terra during this exchange with a sense that something was off about Terra. He was taking everything so well. A little _too well_ for Aqua’s comfort with how confident and perfectly poised he was when he explained everything.

This wasn’t like the emotional and conflicted Terra Aqua was with that last night at the pond. Aqua remembered the fear and sadness in Terra’s eyes that last night, as well as the desperation and tenderness with which he held her face—she couldn’t stop thinking about that moment during these last few days… How that night was perhaps the first time she truly saw how much he loved her. The fact that Terra chose to stay in his prison despite all that he suffered—mostly for her sake—and that last calm smile of his as he said “I love you.” The last real words he had said to her...

“Is everything all right, Aqua?” Terra asked, breaking Aqua from her thoughts. 

“Uh—Oh, I’m just… trying to get used to those new eyes!” Aqua forced an awkward laugh, and then she gave Terra a look of concern. “Really, Terra…maybe we should make sure there are no side effects from the curse?”

Terra shrugged. “Well, if the only side effect is a change of eye color, I really don’t mind. Do you?”

Aqua shook her head. “Of course I don’t mind the color change, but—“

“You worry too much, Aqua,” Terra calmly told her as he reached for her hand to hold it with both of his. “Of course, if you’re that concerned…you could always try to kiss me to make sure the curse is broken for good.”

The blood in Aqua’s cheeks flamed after Terra said this and she couldn't think of a way to respond.

“Just kidding!” Terra quickly said with a chuckle. “It would have only worked in the pond, anyway.”

Aqua was speechless yet again—for Terra to say something like that… since when did he make jokes like this? And yet it was so different from the other night, the nervous way he had reacted to just the thought of Aqua offering to try and kiss him—

“Terra?”

Aqua broke away from Terra to see Ven appear from behind him. 

“Ven, Terra’s back!” she told him with a grin. Terra turned around and smiled at Ven.

Ven glanced at both Aqua and Terra, but he didn’t say anything else. He was staring at Terra with what Aqua could only perceive as caution.

“What’s wrong, Ven?” Terra asked as he furrowed his brow in concern.

“You’re really here…?” Ven said as he glanced down.

“Well, I’m not a ghost,” Terra answered with a smile.

Ven continued to stare at him quietly.

Aqua moved to stand next to Ven and warmly placed a hand on his back. “Ven, it’s really Terra! He defeated the sorcerer and broke the curse. He’s home!”

Ven cleared his throat and then smiled at her. “It’s just… so hard to believe…”

Terra walked up to the boy and gently smiled at him. “Don’t worry Ven—I know I look a little different because of the eyes, but it’s really me, flesh and blood!”

Ven breathed out a sigh. “It’s…really good to have you home!”

Terra moved forward to embrace Ven and hugged him close. “It’s good to be home!”

Aqua looked on with a smile as Ven hugged Terra back. Then she shook away all the doubts in her head— she really was worrying too much.

“Prince Terra,” it was Yen Sid who spoke and interrupted the reunion hug between Terra and Ven.

“Yes, Yen Sid?” Terra returned as he pulled away from the younger boy.

“Let us talk of preparations for your assumption of the throne,” Yen Sid told him with a grave look. “You are going back to a kingdom that has been thrown into a panic by the death of King Eraqus and your absence. There is much you will need to take care of upon your imminent return to Anachór.”

“Yes, of course.” Terra moved to follow Yen Sid out of the receiving chamber.

Aqua reached out an arm in protest. “But… Yen Sid, Terra just got here! Can’t this wait? And shouldn’t I be part of that meeting?“

Yen Sid made a half turn to meet eyes with Aqua. “With all due respect, your highness… Since you were unavailable during the last few weeks, I have had to move forward and communicate with Anachór in your stead concerning the possibility of Prince Terra’s safe return. Your presence isn’t necessary at this meeting, since I am only speaking as a messenger of Anachór’s court.”

“Oh… you really did all that while I was gone?” Aqua said as she glanced to the floor. 

“I didn’t mind taking the responsibility. I am glad you were able to find Terra and now he has come back home safe. However—we must make haste to plan for Terra to return and assume the throne--the future of Anachór’s kingdom must be secured, lest political opportunists attempt to assume control of the country before the Prince returns.”

“But can’t Terra at least eat breakfast first, Yen Sid?”

Terra smiled at Aqua. “We’ll have plenty of time to eat and reunite later. After all, you’re the one who still looks like you need to get dressed and properly wake up.”

Aqua was serious when she had spoken up, so she didn’t know how to respond to Terra’s joke at her pajamas. 

“Prince Terra, you may take your time getting settled back at the castle before we speak,” Yen Sid offered.

Terra shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. We should discuss this as soon as possible.”

Aqua bent her brow in perplexity. “I still think it could wait, Terra—“

“It’s not your problem, Aqua,” Terra cut her off with a serious look.

Aqua stepped back, her heart beating fast and her cheeks warming with the humiliation of how authoritative Terra’s statement sounded. “Okay…then let me go with you! Even though I wasn’t here to plan things, I am still the Queen of Rainfell. Shouldn’t I be involved in—“

“You should go back to bed and sleep some more,” Terra interrupted with a smile. “Those bags under your eyes tell me you haven’t exactly been sleeping well lately.”

“Umm. Well—“

“Please get some rest, Queen Aqua,” Yen Sid told her with a kind smile. “Prince Terra will still be here when you return.”

“There’s nothing to worry about anymore, Aqua,” Terra shortly added with a smile. And then he turned around and followed Yen Sid out of the receiving hall.

When they were alone, Ven pursed his lips sympathetically as he met eyes with Aqua. “Terra’s got a lot of responsibility to go back to, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“But he’s back at least!” Ven offered with a grin.

“Yeah,” Aqua told him with a smile. 

But on the inside, her heart felt uneasy.   
  
  


III.

In the daytime, Terra had nothing to do but swim in circles in his prison. A sliver of light somehow found its way into the well, so that helped Terra keep track of the time, at least. And that’s how he knew that it had already been three days since he was imprisoned. Terra thought to himself that Xehanort could have done a lot in three days’ time, but there was no way for him to know anything about it except from what he could try to gather from Xigbar during the brief feeding every night.

Terra was starting to poke holes in Xigbar’s confidence that Xehanort would hold up his end of the deal to get the ferret to cooperate. But even if he was able to get at Xehanort’s real plan and how it involved Aqua, Terra wouldn’t be able to do anything about it unless he escaped his prison.

Just when Terra was spinning the wheels in his mind trying to come up with some strategy he could use to break out of the well—he heard the familiar voices of his chipmunk friends.

“Terra!”

“Terra, are you in there?”

“My…friends?” Terra mused out loud. 

“Terra—make some noise to let us know where you are!” It was Chip’s voice this time, Terra was sure.

“Xigbar’s gone! We’re trying to get you out!” Goofy added.

“Chip? Dale? Goofy?” Terra called out.

“And Donald!” the duck grumbled.

“I’m in the well!” Terra yelled. “But there’s no way to get out… I need that grate unlocked and opened.”

“Is there a key?” Donald asked.

“I’m not sure how he opens it, but Xigbar would have it if there is a key,” Terra replied.

“Darn… you’re right!” Dale muttered.

“But maybe we can time it… if Xigbar gets here at the same time every night to feed you—that gives us an opening!” Chip suggested.

“You’d wait that long?” Terra asked.

“Of course!” Goofy cheerfully replied. “Anything for our pal Terra, a’hyuck!” 

Terra could almost cry of happiness. “You’ve all been helping me so much… even though I haven’t even really begun to help you all yet. I don’t know how I could ever repay you!”

“There’s no need to repay us Terra!” Chip answered.

“Sure there is!” Donald squawked. “When you break this curse and become human, you have to help us find our King Mickey.”

“Of course—I’ll help you guys with anything!” Terra cheerfully replied.

“Well, don’t worry about it for now—worry about saving your friend, Aqua!” Goofy advised.

“Yeah… Xehanort hasn’t come back to the pond, has he?” Terra asked.

“No… And he might not ever come back—but Xigbar leaves and comes back everyday!” Dale explained.

“Let’s try to get him tonight, then…” Terra was determined to not have to spend even one more night in this prison.

+

Aqua couldn’t go back to sleep after welcoming Terra home. She felt embarrassed from how over-emotional she seemed next to everyone, Terra included, who was acting like his return wasn’t that big of a deal. At least Ven seemed to be real excited—and Aqua told herself that even Zack and Aerith would have been as excited as she was—

“I need to tell Zack and Aerith!” Aqua exclaimed, remembering her promise to let them know as soon as Terra returned to the castle.

She immediately got dressed in a casual outfit and rode into town. It was a short horse ride to Rainfell Village, and just when Aqua had turned into the street where the inn was, a carriage on the opposite side of the street stopped suddenly. Then the small window was flung open.

“Queen Aqua!” 

Aqua turned to look and saw Aerith, her hands braced on the edge of the window as half her torso stuck out of the wagon with her long, curling hair draping over the door.

Aqua immediately motioned for her horse to halt. “Aerith?! What are you doing in a carriage?”

“I was on my way to Rainfell Castle!” Aerith exclaimed as she opened the door and started to run towards Aqua. “I need to tell you some news—“

“I do, too!” Aqua returned with a wide grin.

“ ** _Terra’s back!”_ **

Aqua and Aerith both blushed and gasped at the fact that they had said the same thing at the same time.

“How did you know?” Aqua asked with a crease in her brow.

Aerith’s green eyes were wide and she awkwardly chuckled. “Uh…how about we talk about it over tea?”

Aqua agreed and Aerith decided to dismiss the carriage, leading Aqua on a leisurely walk to a hole-in-the-wall cafe she liked in the village. They received some wide-eyed stares and whispers from other townsfolk at seeing Aerith, a woman of no consequence, walking so casually arm in arm with the young Queen Aqua—who hadn’t ventured out to the village in weeks. 

“So… where’s Zack?” Aqua asked as she and Aerith sat down. “He must be gone with your horse, since you were going to take a carriage.”

“Very observant of you!” Aerith cheerfully said, but then her smile dropped. “He’s actually on his way to Anachór. Terra came to see him in the middle of the night before heading to Rainfell Castle.”

Aqua shook her head and narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What? Why?”

“Zack said Terra wanted him to let Anachór officially know that he had returned, as soon as possible. He told Zack to leave right away.”

“Without you?” Aqua asked with a concerned tilt of her eyebrows.

Aerith shook her head. “I insisted on going with him, but Zack told me not to worry—and that he would come back as soon as possible.”

Aqua frowned. “Terra didn’t tell me that he had seen Zack—or that he sent him away. Why would he have gone to see Zack first instead of waiting until after he came to the castle?”

“That’s what I said,” Aerith said as she glanced down at the table.

She and Aqua both went quiet as their attendant dropped off a pot of tea and two porcelain cups. 

“Your majesty,” the attendant said with a bow.

“Thank you very much!” Aqua said with a curtsy of her own as she stood up.

“I hope you enjoy the tea—it’s white rose! The house favorite," the attendant cheerfully told Aqua and Aerith.

“I’m sure I will,” Aqua replied with a gentle smile.

“Thank you so much!” Aerith added with a smile and curtsy of her own. “I love the tea here!”

Aqua smiled at her and then sat back down. “So… Terra went to see Zack just to tell him to leave to Anachór? In the middle of the night? Why couldn’t he have waited?”

Aerith shrugged and then frowned before pouring the tea in both hers and Aqua’s cups.

“What is it, Aerith?” Aqua asked.

“I had a bad feeling when Zack left,” Aerith said with a sigh. She took a careful sip of her tea after gently blowing on it.

“Do you think Zack is in danger?” Aqua asked.

Aerith shook her head. “No… but the bad feeling was more about Terra. ”

“Did you see Terra, too?” Aqua asked.

“No—but based on what Zack has told me about Terra—it’s not like him at all to give this kind of order,” Aerith said with a crease in the middle of her eyebrows. “Zack has been Terra’s Captain of the Guard for three years now—and when they were at the castle in Anachór, they were inseparable. I found it very strange last night that Terra wouldn’t have reunited properly with Zack before sending him away.” Aqua was busy sipping the white rose tea so Aerith continued, “I suppose it might be normal for other princes and their guards, but Terra doesn’t give orders often—and even when he does, he treats Zack like a friend first, and a guard second.”

Aqua’s heart sank. This didn’t seem like Terra to her, either…

“Anyway, I’m afraid I gave you more questions than answers, Aqua,” Aerith said as she tilted her head apologetically. “How was Terra when you saw him? I’m sure you must be so happy to have him back.”

“Oh, of course I’m happy he’s back!” Aqua quickly qualified. “But… I’m afraid he’s not acting like himself with me, either. I thought maybe I was reading too much into it, but…”

“What happened?” Aerith asked.

“Well… we barely reunited for a few minutes at sunrise before he went to go take care of Anachór business with Yen Sid. He didn’t even want to have breakfast first. It’s just not like Terra to dive headfirst into Anachór business—especially on an empty stomach. And he didn’t want me to be a part of that meeting with Yen Sid—but maybe I’m just overreacting. It’s his kingdom after all…” Aqua sighed and looked to Aerith for a sign that she was either overreacting or that she had reason to be worried. 

Aerith had a hand to her chin as she bent her brow in deep thought. “If you feel like something is off…then maybe something is, Aqua. You’re the person who knows Terra best—and you were the last one to see him before he returned.”

Aqua nodded, glancing down at her cup of tea. “It just feels like nothing I imagined it would be like when Terra returned. That last night at the pond… it was very emotional for both of us. And the stakes… what he was risking to come back on his own, I… I just thought that whenever Terra came back, it would be something that matched the feelings we shared that night. Instead, he’s acting so casual and unaffected—and he’s more concerned with returning to Anachór than spending time with me or any of his friends.”

“Wait—Back up!” Aerith’s eyes were wide. “I just realized…if you saw Terra as a human in the daylight, then Terra figured out how to break the curse?!”

“Yes…and no,” Aqua awkwardly replied after she finished her cup of tea. “He figured it out, but he didn’t break it the way he said he was supposed to.”

“Go on,” Aerith asked as she poured more tea for Aqua.

“He told me that last night at the pond—he finally learned how to break the curse, but… I didn’t tell anyone, because…” Aqua started to feel herself blush and breathed out a sigh. “The only way to break the curse was for Terra to get a True Love’s kiss in that pond underneath the moonlight. Someone who he truly loved and who truly loved him in return had to be the one to kiss him."

Aerith leaned forward, her jaw dropped open. “Did you try? Oh my gosh, please tell me you tried!”

Aqua fiercely blushed as she prepared to answer Aerith. “Well…I wanted to try… but Terra didn’t let me because he thought it wouldn’t work—because of what I said at the coronation about not being in love with him…”

“Oh, Aqua…” Aerith said with a sad pout on her lips.

Aqua was still blushing and now reliving the pain in her heart. “I know in the moment he didn’t think it would work, but the words he said and the actions he took that night… I don’t think our hearts have ever been more open to each other. I felt like I could finally see how much Terra really loved me--how much he was willing to do to protect me.”

Aerith had a hand on her heart and her eyes were shining. “Oh, Aqua… does this mean…?”

“Even if it’s not the type of love worthy of a True Love’s kiss, I know I love Terra with all my heart,” Aqua answered with a sad smile. “I wish he had let me try the kiss…but apparently he didn’t need me to. Supposedly killing Xehanort broke his curse.”

“Supposedly? Do you doubt this?” Aerith asked.

Aqua glanced down. “Well…no, but the Terra I saw this morning—it’s like he forgot about everything from that last night we saw each other. He laughed at my concerns that the curse might not be truly broken if it wasn’t done the way he said it had to be—and he joked that I should kiss him if I wanted to make sure the curse was broken! Terra isn’t the type of person to make those kinds of jokes—especially about something so serious like that.”

“You really think the curse might not be broken?” Aerith asked.

“I mean…not only was the curse not broken with True Love’s kiss—but he’s also not acting like himself, and his eyes are gold now! It looks like it could be a side effect from the swan curse. What if True Love’s Kiss really was the only way to break the curse, and he might still be cursed?”

“Huh…“ Aerith glanced up in thought. “I don’t really know anything about sorcerer’s curses, but maybe just try to talk to Terra. Figure out what’s going on inside his head instead of running around in circles in your own head.”

“That’s good advice.” Aqua smiled. “Thanks again, Aerith.”

“My pleasure, your highness!” Then Aerith placed a hand over Aqua’s. “Aqua, I really do hope everything turns out all right with Terra. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”  
  
  


IV.

Xehanort was sure that he had fooled everyone in the castle, and everything was already going according to his plan. It was so easy to pose as Prince Terra—all he had to do was imitate the boy’s earnest and positive attitude, his simplicity, and throw in a bit of self deprecation for good measure.

The naive Queen Aqua was only mildly skeptical of the circumstances of Prince Terra’s “return.” Xehanort could see it in her eyes, but she loved the real Prince Terra too much, that she would likely go to great lengths to rationalize anything that didn’t seem quite right. She would be the toughest to deceive, but as long as Xehanort kept out of Queen Aqua’s way and played her exactly how he needed to, he had no concerns. He had even been able to get rid of Prince Terra’s Captain of the Guard, so that left only one person at Rainfell castle who was close enough to the Prince to have any suspicion: the stableboy, Ventus. In Xehanort’s short-lived observation of Prince Terra with this boy, it seemed that the Prince took a mentor-like role with the blond youth and treated him with sibling-like affection.

Over the last decade, Xehanort had observed Terra as he grew up. At first, he did not know how he would use the young prince in his pursuit of revenge against King Eraqus, but he was intrigued all the same by the orphaned boy who would one day be king—and who seemed to show that he was less and less like his adoptive father as the years progressed. Xehanort mostly perceived Prince Terra as just another obstacle to the throne who would have to be eliminated, but his plans for taking King Eraqus’ place meant that he had to be well-learned about all the relationships that surrounded the King.

After his conference with Yen Sid, Xehanort was informed that Queen Aqua left to the nearby village to visit Captain Fair and his wife. Xehanort thought with a laugh that the young queen would likely have questions when she discovered that the Captain was no longer in Rainfell, but he wasn’t worried. He took this opportunity to go visit the stableboy Ventus, who adored Terra, with the intention to plant more seeds of deception.

“Hi, Ven!” Xehanort greeted the young stableboy as he was busy scrubbing stalls of the hunting steeds.

Ventus whipped around and his eyes widened, then he grinned. “Terra!”

Xehanort walked into the stables and eyed the horses and Ventus’ equipment with a smile on his face. “Keeping busy, I see?”

“Uh, yeah!” Ventus quickly answered with a nervous rub at his knees as he brushed away hay from his trousers. “Is everything okay, Terra?”

“Hmm?”

Ventus nervously scratched at his hair. “Sorry… It just seemed like you had a lot of important things to do—and I figured you’d want to spend your first day back with Aqua.”

Xehanort smirked. “Aqua’s unavailable—but even if she wasn’t, I think it’s suitable if we spend some quality time together, too.”

A smile crept up the side of Ventus’ face. “You really think so?”

Xehanort shrugged, then crossed his arms as he sent Ventus a playful smirk. “Well, if you’d rather I leave, then I can do that.”

“No!” Ventus protested. “It’s just… you sure you don’t have important stuff to do? You were too busy to spend time with us before.”

“Don't worry, Ven—I’m done now.” Xehanort clapped a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “And since Aqua’s not able to join us at the moment, this is a great time for the two of us to catch up!”

Ventus nodded. “Oh, okay…I just have to finish cleaning this stall, but you’re welcome to sit and talk if you want!” 

The boy went back to work, so Xehanort leaned against the wall across from the stall with his arms crossed over his chest.

“So… how did you do it?” Ventus suddenly asked.

“Do what?” Xehanort replied.

“Break the curse,” Ventus said as he looked back up at Xehanort.

“I defeated Xehanort.”

“So you fought him?”

“Yeah.”

“Killed him?”

“Yeah, Ven.”

“Hmm…” Ventus had a serious look on his face as he remained quiet.

Xehanort kept a smile on his face, but internally grew irritated with this boy’s questioning. He was skeptical from the start, and if he raised suspicion about Prince Terra’s story, he could become potentially dangerous to Xehanort’s plans.

“Pretty weird that your eyes changed color, though,” Ventus finally said with an awkward laugh. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t know, Ven,” Xehanort answered with a shrug and a laugh. If Ventus kept up with this questioning, he would have to figure out a way to get rid of him…

“Hey, Ven—how about we go for a ride?” Xehanort suggested cheerfully, to change the subject.

“A ride?” Ventus had an eyebrow raised.

“There are a lot of amazing views just outside of Rainfell Castle. What do you say we go race on horseback? I could use a bit of fun after all of this madness.”

Ven raised an eyebrow. “You want to go racing? Right now?”

Xehanort reached forward and ruffled Ven’s hair. “What, afraid you won’t be able to beat me?”

“Well—you and Aqua aren't supposed to leave the castle grounds when riding—well, I guess since Aqua’s been Queen, she’s been making her own rules so she goes out on her own now, but—speaking of, shouldn’t we wait for her to come back and ask her to come too?“

“We won’t be gone for long,” Xehanort said with a playful raise of his eyebrow. “Besides, if you’re worried about what Aqua will think…just don’t tell her! I’ll take responsibility if we get caught.”

Ven smiled. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go for a little bit! And it would just worry Aqua if we told her…she’s got a lot on her plate now. It hasn’t been easy for her these last few weeks.”

“Which is exactly why we should keep this a secret—what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?” Xehanort replied with a grin.

“I guess you’re right!” Ven answered.

Xehanort chuckled and ruffled Ven’s hair again. “Of course I am!”

+

That same day, Terra and his friends at the pond planned to carry out Terra’s escape from the dungeon. Chip, Dale, Donald, and Goofy hid inside the tower for the rest of the day until Xigbar returned late at night, as he had done the last few nights. 

“Prince! Here’s your food! Don’t make me wait,” Xigbar growled after he opened the grate at the top of the well.

Terra didn’t answer. He was floating on his back in the water with his eyes closed, wings splayed out on either side of him.

“Hey…. what’s wrong with you?” Xigbar shouted down the well. “You better not be messing with me!”

Terra still didn’t respond.

“Aw, nuts…” Xigbar quietly said to himself. “Hey, wake up!”

Xigbar threw some apple chips that directly pelted Terra in the face, but he did his best to continue playing dead.

“Damn it…” Xigbar growled. “If you die, the old man will have my head!”

Terra heard him scrambling for some equipment and it sounded like he began to lower himself into the well with a pulley system from above it. 

_Now is our moment!_ Terra thought to himself as he cautiously opened one eye. 

Just when he saw Xigbar lowering himself down carefully using the rope line—Donald swooped down and violently flew into his face, while the chipmunks and Goofy got to work on gnawing the rope from its pulley system—so that Xigbar wouldn’t have a way back up.

Xigbar merely stumbled and began to shout as Donald circled and attacked him again, causing him to lose his grip. 

“You rotten duck!” Xigbar growled as he caught himself with one arm.

Terra took this chance to flop back over onto his stomach in the water, and then he dug deep and used all the strength in his wings to rise into a straight-up flight. Xigbar tried to thrash at him as he flew, but he missed and swung too far—causing him to finally fall down into the water now that the rope wasn’t secure.

“Ahhhh! You’ll all pay for this!” Xigbar screamed as he fell into the water. 

Terra did a small victory lap flight around the chamber once he got to the surface and his friends cheered him on.

“A'hyuck, it worked!” Goofy exclaimed.

“Now we have to close the grate!” Donald told Terra. 

“Wait! You can’t leave me here! I’ll drown!” Xigbar cried out.

“The water’s not that deep,” Terra countered as he stood on the edge of the well, looking down on his captor. “You can stand in it, I’m sure.”

Xigbar stopped thrashing in the water and indeed, the water only reached to his shoulders. “Still! Prince, please—this was all just a misunderstanding! Your words got to me—I was going to cut ties with Xehanort soon enough but I had to keep the act up until—“

“Shut up,” Donald interrupted.

Xigbar sneered up at Terra. “If you leave me here, I’ll starve to death!”

“We can drop off all the apple chips you want down there!” Dale offered as he dangled the bag Xigbar had left up top.

“I’m sure if Xehanort really wants you by his side, he’ll come and get you,” Terra added with a smirk.

“No he won’t!” Xigbar started to wail.

“Wow, this guy is really pathetic…maybe we should let him out,” Chip suggested.

“I want to be a ferrett again! In my normal body, I could just climb out of here!”

Terra sighed. “I guess we could lower down the other rope and secure it to the grate.”

“But Terra—this guy tortured you!” Dale protested.

“Yeah!” Donald spat out. “And he’s mean, and vicious, and—“

“And if we do this to him, we’ll be no better than he is,” Terra said with a somber look. “I have to become a king. A good one who would always do the right thing. If I leave him down there to die…I can’t say that I was doing the right thing.”

“You sound just like our King Mickey!” Goofy remarked in admiration.

Donald sighed. “Oh, alright!”

“We’ll have a headstart on him, anyway,” Terra said with a shrug.

“Does this mean we’re leaving the pond, too?” Chip asked.

“Mhmm. All of us!” Terra replied.

“Terra, do you have a plan?” Goofy asked.

“Not really… but I have to go back to Rainfell Castle to save Aqua from Xehanort. I can’t let anything bad happen to her!”

“Well what are you gonna do when you get there?” Donald asked. “If you leave this place, you won’t get to turn back into a human, even if the moon appears! What can you do when you’re only a swan?”

“Well, even if I’m a swan… I won’t be alone,” Terra said with a tone of resolve. “And even though Xehanort might look like me, I know that Aqua will see through it—she’ll be able to recognize the real me!”

“Okay then, we’re coming with you!” Donald cheerfully replied.

Terra smiled. “Let’s get this rope secured to the grate, and then…we’re busting out of here!”

“You got it, Terra!” Chip and Dale replied.

“Hey, Xigbar!” Terra called down the well.

“Kill me now and get it over with!” Xigbar shouted.

Terra shook his head. “I’m not going to kill you or leave you here. But once I drop this rope…you better run far away from this pond. I’m on my way to save Aqua and defeat Xehanort—and when that curse is broken, you better hope that I don’t ever find you again. Got that?”

“Oh, what a merciful prince! I’ll run—you’ll never see me again in your life!”

“Promise?” Goofy called out.

“Yes, I promise!” Xigbar cried out.

“If you’re lying, I’ll make sure I poke out your eyes next time!” Donald threatened.

“Donald!” Terra whispered.

“We gotta scare him a little, Terra,” Donald grumbled back.

“You have my word—I won’t ever come back!” Xigbar yelled. “Now throw down the rope!”

Terra sighed. “I hope this isn’t a mistake…”

Dale raised a hand. “Hey, before we go…just one question… How are we all supposed to fly to Rainfell?”

+

When Aqua returned to Rainfell Castle in the afternoon, she couldn’t find Terra and no one around the castle seemed to know where he had gone to. Then when dinner came around, Aqua noticed that the seat reserved for him at the table was empty.

_That’s strange… Why isn’t Terra here?_

Yen Sid was sitting across from Aqua as they ate, and she put down her cutlery to ask the old man about it. “Yen Sid, do you know where Terra is?"

Yen Sid looked up from his meal and replied, “He chose to dine in his own chambers tonight.”

“What? Why? And why didn’t you tell me?” Aqua asked.

“My apologies—Prince Terra had informed me of this earlier in the day. I assumed at some point, he would have let you know of his plans.”

Aqua furrowed her brow as she glanced down at the table. “No…he didn’t tell me. I haven’t even seen him since this morning—do you know where he’s been?”

“I have not seen him since our conference this morning—although I’m sure Prince Terra is taking some much needed time to rest from his ordeal.”

Aqua kept a frown on her face as she looked at Yen Sid.

Yen Sid sighed. “Aqua, is there something wrong?”

“Why is he acting so weird?”

Yen Sid pursed his lips and sighed. “It won’t be easy for Prince Terra to return to Anachór and take the throne when so few preparations were made for him to transition this early. He has very much to prepare for and organize.”

Aqua bitterly frowned. “It’s not just that, Yen Sid! He’s not acting like himself. And did you know he sent away Captain Fair to Anachór already?”

Yen Sid tilted his head and glanced at Aqua with a vague semblance of interest. “No, I did not.”

“Isn’t that strange?” Aqua asked.

“I assume he wants his country to know of his whereabouts as soon as possible,” Yen Sid replied before turning his attention back to his meal.

“Yes, but—a courier from our castle could have done it,” Aqua protested. “Why would he send Zack home to Anachór without going with him? And why didn’t he tell me that he sent Zack away?”

“I think you should be asking Prince Terra these questions, Aqua,” Yen Sid advised.

Aqua let out a sigh of frustration as she stood up. “You’re right. He’s in his guest chamber, you said?”

Yen Sid had barely finished nodding before Aqua speed walked out of the dining room and up to Terra’s room. He hadn’t been there the last couple times she checked during the afternoon, so she hoped he would be there now.

_But… why would he choose to not eat dinner with me? He’s never done that! Not since the first summer he came to Rainfell, anyway… and that was ten years ago when we hated each other!_

Aqua took in a deep breath and composed herself before knocking on Terra’s door. SHe had a lot of things she needed to ask him, but she had to try and not let her emotions get the best of her—or distract her from asking everything she needed to. 

Terra opened the door with a look of surprise on his face—and Aqua mirrored the look when she saw his gold eyes again.

“Aqua? What are you doing here?”

Aqua tensed her brow. “Terra, why are you eating alone in here?”

Terra raised an eyebrow. “Oh—well I’m not actually eating, I’m working on the preparations for when I get back to Anachór.”

Aqua frowned. “What? That’s not like you.”

Terra breathed out a laugh. “You and everyone else are surprised that I’m finally taking this seriously.”

“I never said that—it’s just… you’re acting kind of like…” Aqua sighed and looked down. “Since when have princely responsibilities mattered more to you than spending time with people you care about? And I don’t just mean me.”

Terra narrowed his eyes. “Who else are you referring to?"

Aqua frowned up at him as she pushed her way into his room. Terra closed the door behind him and faced Aqua with a tense expression on his face.

Aqua crossed her arms and finally said, “I heard that you sent Zack home and that you did that before even coming back to Rainfell Castle. Why?”

“He’s going to spread the good word to Anachór that I’m back. It’ll look better coming from an Anachór representative than one of Rainfell’s couriers.”

“I…guess, but…”

“What’s wrong?” Terra asked as he walked up closer to Aqua, his brow furrowed.

“Nothing. Just…” Aqua sighed. “I figured you would have wanted him to be here, to spend time together. You’re best friends! And he and Aerith helped me find you in the Mirage Woods—I thought it would have been nice to have reunited with them! They waited here for you to return.”

Terra’s expression calmed and he moved forward to place both hands on Aqua’s arms. “I’m sorry, Aqua… I was trying to think of my country first. I should have thought about your feelings…”

“This isn’t about my feelings!” Aqua argued as she frowned up at Terra. “Is everything okay with you? Be honest with me…please.”

Terra stared at Aqua for a few seconds, looking pensive, and then he smiled as he took his hands off of her arms. “I really am sorry. My head’s definitely been in a different space today.”

“Just talk to me,” Aqua softly pleaded. 

Terra sighed and then stared at Aqua. “The truth is… I just needed time to prepare myself to talk with you. I was going to tell you everything, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

Terra put his hands on his hips and swallowed. “Aqua, before this entire situation with Xehanort, we left off with you rejecting my proposal. I’ve had to consider how to come back from that humiliation and what many people perceived as the end of our alliance.”

Aqua grimaced at hearing this and protested, “Terra, I—“

“Just hear me out,” Terra said as he reached for Aqua’s shoulders again. “I know you love me, Aqua. You went as far as to come find me deep in the Mirage Woods—even when the rest of the world had already accepted my death. It really meant a lot that after the way we left things here…you still loved me enough to do that. Even if you only love me as a friend.”

Aqua softened her look. “Terra, about that… I—“

Terra put a finger to Aqua’s lips, stopping her from speaking further.

“I know how you feel, but the rest of the world doesn’t,” Terra told her with a sad smile. “Which is why I’ve been thinking of a way for us to bounce back from this whole proposal debacle.”

Aqua blinked and tilted her head in curiosity. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve thought about it—Anachór is getting a new king and Rainfell’s new queen just went MIA immediately after the coronation… things are unstable for both of our kingdoms right now. So…maybe we don’t have to get married, but if we say we will…it could calm things down for both of our countries.”

Terra was smiling at her, but Aqua remained quiet and shook her head as if she didn’t hear that quite right. 

“…What?”

“I think we should get engaged!” Terra said with a smile.

Aqua’s eyes grew twice their size and she felt herself start to sweat. 

Terra didn’t seem to notice how flustered Aqua became and he continued, “I don’t need you to be in love with me—or even to actually marry me. But Anachór is in a state of panic after losing King Eraqus and Yen Sid tells me that you’re getting a lot of resentment from followers in Rainfell after refusing my proposal and then going MIA to look for me. So an engagement announcement along with my return could calm things down! If people have something to look forward to—like a wedding that secures the alliance—doesn’t that seem like the kind of thing a queen and king should do for their people?”

Aqua was silent with her jaw dropped open for a few seconds before saying, “But…Terra…” 

Terra clapped a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Think about it. Just because you propose something doesn’t mean you have to follow through with it. We don’t even have to actually get married, and we can dissolve the engagement without a fuss.”

Aqua furrowed her brow as she processed what he just told her. She still couldn’t wrap her head around it. “You… want to get engaged to me… to make our people happy?”

“Royals in other countries do this all the time!” Terra said with a shrug of his shoulders. “That’s the nature of having an alliance—you don’t even have to love each other to get married. But what’s important is that marriage brings stability and peace between countries. Why do you think Yen Sid and King Eraqus started making us spend time together when we were kids? Our marriage was expected before we even met each other. So when you said no to my proposal… well, that’s why people think there will be no more alliance. Do you understand now?”

Aqua didn’t know how to respond to anything Terra said. She felt sick in her stomach and like she couldn’t breathe. 

“Listen, I didn’t say any of that to make you feel bad, but it is what is.” Terra gave Aqua a short smile and gently squeezed at her shoulder. “Don’t worry about answering right away… I’ll give you some time to think about it.”  
  


V.

The journey to Rainfell Castle was a slow one for Terra and his animal friends and hindered by rain that began before dawn. To add to the struggle, Donald and Terra had to come up with a way to bring Goofy and the chipmunks—they improvised by tying rope around Goofy’s shell as Donald flew with one end of it in his mouth. The chipmunks rode on Terra’s back but secured a rope around his shoulders so that they had something to hold on to. But even with their innovations, they didn’t get very far by mid-morning because of all the rain making it hard to see.

“It’s too rainy to keep flying, Terra!” Donald gritted through his teeth as he desperately held onto Goofy, who was swaying wildly in the wind.

“But we need to get to Rainfell! We’re already halfway there!” Terra countered. 

“But Chip, Dale, and Goofy…. we can’t fly like this!” Donald argued.

“It’s okay, Terra…” Chip said with a chatter. “We’ll go through anything to help stop that sorcerer!”

Terra couldn’t meet eyes with the chipmunks, but he saw how miserable Goofy looked as he swung in the rain and the wind. He sighed. “You’re right, Donald. We should take shelter until the rain dies down.”

They weren’t even clear of the forest yet, and Donald and Terra flew down to a thicket that would surely give them a place to dry off and wait. The group found an empty tree stump on its side and they huddled close together in the hollow of the tree.

“I know you’re worried about Aqua,” Donald told Terra. “But you can’t get yourself lost before going to find her. We can’t see anything in this rain.”

Terra sighed. “I know… I just worry that if I don’t get there in time—what if Xehanort hurts her? What if he already has?”

“You gotta believe, Terra,” Goofy suggested.

“Believe?” Terra asked.

“Uh-huh! I believe that our King Mickey is out there somewhere safe. If he wasn’t, I think I’d know!”

Terra stared at Goofy. “How is that enough? To just believe he’s okay?”

“Well—there’s a little more to it than that. Our King Mickey was a sorcerer’s apprentice!” Donald cheerfully told Terra. “So he knows all kinds of magic to keep himself safe. Your friend Aqua looked real strong. So maybe she can keep herself safe too.”

“Yeah, Aqua could kick my ass any day,” Terra mused out loud. And then he shot a tense look at Donald and Goofy. “Wait—what did you say about your king? A sorcerer’s apprentice? Magic?!”

“Well, that’s part of the reason why we think Xehanort had something to do with his disappearance,” Chip explained.

“Animals can do magic?!” Terra exclaimed. 

Dale giggled and fell onto his back. “You’re really asking that after everything that’s happened to you?”

Terra tilted his head. “Well, I guess you’re right…”

“Let’s get some rest and focus on saving your friend Aqua… then we’ll explain everything,” Donald sighed.

Terra shook his head and closed his eyes as he sat in a small corner of the tree stump.

_Believe in Aqua…?_ Terra thought to himself. He knew she was strong—but Xehanort was dangerous. No matter how physically strong Aqua was, he could still hurt her.

Terra opened his eyes to glance down at Aqua’s charm, which was still around his neck. 

_Maybe there really is some magic in this necklace… and maybe that magic is True Love between me and Aqua, like Goofy said. Then... I’ll believe in that!_

+

Aqua kept herself busy in the morning with some solo physical training and a swim in the indoor pool. She was even happy to take care of queenly responsibilities and to focus all her attention on the ongoing issues in faraway small villages—even after Yen Sid told her that someone else could take care of it. But Aqua insisted on working all day, and then she dedicated her early evening to a big baking project in the kitchen that took hours to complete.

No one asked Aqua why she was keeping so busy, and she was glad that she didn’t have to lie to anyone—because all this busywork was just an excuse to avoid Terra all day. After the bomb he dropped on her the night before, Aqua still had no idea how to respond to his proposal. 

Terra wanted to be engaged to marry her, in order to bring peace to both of their countries. 

Aqua supposed that from a diplomatic, political perspective, what Terra proposed would be a good move for their public images and the alliance between Rainfell and Anachór, but she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She still couldn’t say for sure what kind of feelings she held for Terra, but that didn’t even matter to him—he told her that she didn’t have to love him in order to be engaged. But if it didn’t matter to Terra now…how long has it not mattered?

If she was going to marry Terra, she’d rather that it be out of love than a diplomatic maneuver. But then again… he said they could break off the engagement if she wanted to… that they didn’t even have to really get married—they just needed everyone to think they were engaged. But Aqua couldn’t understand how Terra could be okay with something like that—much less suggest it in the first place.

“Ughhh!!!” Aqua screamed into a pillow as she lay in her bed late at night.

_It just doesn’t seem like Terra to be so casual about it—he’s been so casual about everything since he came back! The Terra that I know is passionate, honest, and does everything with the full intention of his heart. That’s what made his first proposal so heartbreaking, because I knew he had meant every single word he said to me. This time…I can’t tell what he’s really thinking or feeling. Did he really only ever want to marry me because he felt like he had to?_

Aqua sighed and flashed back to that moment between her and Terra that last night at the pond in the Mirage Woods. The way he looked at her, the way his eyes shone with tears, the way he held her tight, but also gently, and how calm he looked when he placed his hand on hers and told her he loved her.

_Why does it seem like his feelings have changed? Especially after everything…after that night… is this even the same Terra?_

And of course, right when she was spiraling about this—there was a light knock on her door. Aqua jumped up and sat at the end of her bed. It was late, and only one person ever came to talk to her at this hour of the night. 

Her heart raced…she wasn’t ready to talk to Terra yet!

“Aqua?” Terra softly called out from the other side of the door. “Are you awake?”

“Yes, I am,” Aqua answered. She still hadn’t even changed into her sleeping clothes, and she wondered if Terra would guess that she had been avoiding him.

“Hey… I wanted to check in with you,” Terra continued. “You weren’t at dinner and I couldn’t find you all day.”

Aqua suddenly felt guilty for how much she had avoided Terra all day—and even though he had been acting weird… that was no reason to avoid him after everything he’d gone through over the last few weeks. 

She sighed and stood up to go open the door. “Sorry… I had a lot to do today.”

Terra sympathetically smiled at her. “Right… You’re a queen now.”

Aqua half-heartedly smiled back. “So did you want to talk, or…?”

“Yes. In your room, if that’s alright with you,” Terra said.

Aqua nodded quietly and moved to open the door, beckoning Terra to come in. Terra walked in until he decided to lean back against Aqua’s desk, crossing his arms. 

“I know that was kind of a big thing I dropped on you last night and I’m sorry—you’ve been avoiding me all day because of that, right?” Terra asked.

Aqua’s cheeks warmed and she found it hard to look Terra in the eye. “Well…”

Terra breathed out a laugh. “It’s fine. I deserved it.”

Aqua and Terra were both quiet for a few seconds, until Aqua finally looked him in the eye. “Terra… Would you really want to marry me if I didn’t love you? Are you really okay with that? And does that mean…” Aqua glanced down. She couldn’t ask the question after all.

_Does that mean that you’re not really in love with me?_

Terra bent his brow in a concerned expression. “Does that mean…what?”

Aqua swallowed before asking, “Did you ever really want to marry me for love? Or was it always just because you thought it was what you had to do?”

Terra’s eyes were widened in dismay. “Aqua—how could you think I don’t love you? Haven’t I already told you how I feel? Do you think I’d lie about that?”

“N-no, I don’t! But…” Aqua began to sweat. “You said that we don’t have to be in love to get married and you would still want to be engaged to me if I didn’t love you. And this time you’re only asking for me to get engaged to you because you want to bring peace to our countries and to secure the alliance!”

Terra reached forward and took Aqua’s hand in his as he kept an intent stare on her face. “Oh, Aqua… I thought I was just doing what we should do as rulers of our kingdoms. That’s why I said you didn’t have to love me—because you already rejected my proposal once, and I know you don’t actually want to marry me. But…I was really doing all of this for you! I want your kingdom to love you! And I don’t want my stupid mistake of proposing to you in public to be the reason you get any criticism from your own people. So…I thought I would try to fix it by giving you a chance to take back what was said that night. Then people could stop blaming you for the alliance being at risk.”

Aqua sadly glanced at her feet. “That many people… think it’s my fault for jeopardizing the alliance?”

Terra reached forward to take Aqua’s face into his hand. “Look, that doesn’t matter—but if we got engaged and publicly announced it, people would no longer have a reason to blame you for something that’s not even true.”

Aqua blinked nervously. “But… would you really be okay with being engaged to me if I didn’t love you?”

Terra’s golden eyes were intensely focused on Aqua’s. “I’d do anything for you, Aqua. And we still have love between us, right? As friends?”

Aqua glanced down, her heart aching. “Terra… I know I haven’t made it easy for you, and it isn’t really fair for you to be so open about your feelings with me, while I’m still figuring things out. I’m just—“

“Aqua, there’s no need to explain,” Terra replied. “My feelings haven’t changed, but I respect yours if they haven’t, either.”

“Will being engaged to me help you?” Aqua quietly asked. “I don’t want to go through with it if it’s only for my sake.”

Terra nodded. “Yes, I think it will help both of us. With King Eraqus dead and my legitimacy being questioned…things could get ugly and I might end up with nothing, kicked out of my own castle and back to being a nobody.”

Aqua gasped. “What?! The court in Anachór can’t do that… can they?”

Terra shrugged. “King Eraqus isn’t around anymore to stop them. And we already had to deal with a sorcerer who wanted the throne so badly that he killed him! Even though I doubt others would go to such lengths, I’m sure there are many who would like to take the throne…”

“And you think… if we get engaged, it’ll help keep people from challenging your legitimacy?” Aqua asked with a worried furrow of her brow.

“A lost prince coming back from the dead and also coming back to Anachór engaged to the Queen of Rainfell? It’ll be hard to convince the people of Anachór that I shouldn’t be King,” Terra said with a smile. “At the very least, it will show that you are supportive of me and that alone will speak volumes. But…like I said…Aqua, _you don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to_. And if that’s the case, then I’ll just have to have faith that my council wouldn’t turn against me and hope for the best from my people.”

Aqua took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “…Okay.”

“Okay?” Terra asked.

“Okay… let’s do it,” Aqua replied with a nod as she opened her eyes. “Let’s get engaged.”

“Are you sure, Aqua?” Terra asked.

“I’m sure,” Aqua told him with a grin. “If it helps protect your place as the King of Anachór, of course I’ll do that for you, Terra!”

“Wow… thank you, Aqua!” Terra smiled. “So…does that mean are we officially engaged?”

Aqua breathed out a chuckle. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we become official until we announce it to the whole world.”

Terra grinned wide. “Well…then tomorrow night will be a perfect chance to do it!”

Aqua raised her eyebrows. “T-tomorrow?”

“Yes. You can announce it tomorrow night at the ball!”

“At…the ball? What ball?”

Terra smirked, “It’s your castle and you didn’t even know there was going to be a ball?”

Aqua tensed her brow.

“Well… it was going to be a celebration of my return,” Terra explained.

“How did you arrange that so quickly?” Aqua asked.

Terra smirked. “That’s what I sent Zack to do—in addition to spreading the news of my return, to formally invite the court from Anachór. Then I took care of the rest here—but you were too busy avoiding me to notice…”

“So you planned all this?” Aqua asked with her eyebrows still raised. “You assumed I would say yes to your proposal?”

“Of course not! Although I hoped… At the very least, having another celebration that doesn’t put so much attention on you will help everyone forget about your coronation,” Terra told Aqua with a light pat on her arm.

Aqua tilted her head. “I guess so…”

“Anyway, get some good sleep tonight. You have a big night tomorrow,” Terra said as he walked towards the door.

Aqua nodded. “You, too.”

She finally felt a bit better about the situation, but… _a ball?_

  
  


VI.

Even though there were scattered rain showers across Rainfell for most of the night and the next morning after Terra and his animal friends hid out in their forest shelter, they eventually found themselves at Rainfell Castle. The skies were full of clouds but the sun also shined—and Terra decided to take it as a good omen.

“So all we need to do now is find your friend Aqua, right?” Chip asked Terra.

“Yeah,” Terra said. “It’ll be easy once we get inside the castle—I’ll go in first!”

Terra flew towards the castle entrance, expecting to get through easily—but he was unexpectedly met with hostility as sharp objects threatened to take him out before he could get past the archway.

“You stop there, bird!”

It was the castle guards who had nearly struck Terra with their lances and Terra gawked in surprise as he recoiled and flew away up into the air.

“Shoo! Shoo, bird!”

“What? Why are they attacking me?!” Terra cried out as he flew back up into the sky.

“Oh, but look—it’s a swan! Surely, the Queen would allow such a lovely looking swan onto the grounds,” the pink-haired guard protested. Terra recognized him—Lauriam was his name if he remembered correctly…

“You heard Prince Terra—any birds that try to enter castle grounds—and especially inside the castle—are to be chased out!” the blonde guard replied. Her name was Elrena. Terra never really liked talking to her and avoided it if he could during his visits.

“What does the Prince have against birds anyway?” Lauriam asked.

“Said it was something to do with his kidnapping. Brings back bad memories,” Elrena said with a shrug.

Lauriam sighed. “That’s kind of ridiculous…”

“In any case, we can’t have birds coming into the castle ruining the preparations for tonight or shitting anywhere—we’d be blamed for it and then we’d have to clean it up!” Elrena ranted.

Lauriam tilted his head in agreement. “You do have a point… I don’t want to go anywhere near bird shit.”

Terra flew up to Aqua’s chamber, hoping to reach her directly, but the windows were closed and the curtains were drawn. He perched on the balcony’s edge and tried to tap on the windows, but didn’t receive any response.

_It’s no use… Aqua was never really one to hole herself up inside her room, anyway, so she might not be there. But maybe Ven will be out at the stables and he’ll recognize me!_

Terra flew back down and met up with his friends near the castle gate, leading them to the stables that were located in the back of the castle grounds. Surely the guards wouldn’t chase them if they were outside, right?

But just as Terra was able to spot Ven’s golden hair in one of the horse stables—he froze with shock at seeing the tall, brown-haired man next to him. It was Xehanort, and he was still the spitting image of Terra’s human form. Terra hid behind one of the stalls and tried to keep himself quiet as he spied on them both through a crack in one of the wood panels—shushing the rest of his friends to remain silent as they all hid.

“Why don’t you just ditch your duties, today, Ven? After all, we have a ball to prepare for!” Xehanort said, sounding just like Terra.

“You think it’ll be okay?” Ven asked.

“I’ll authorize it with the Queen,” Xehanort said with a wink. “No one can argue against her.”

Ven grinned. “So what are we gonna do instead? 

“Let’s go play some games inside! Or swipe a couple of the desserts that are being prepared for tonight? Anything you want to do,” Xehanort said as he jovially clapped a hand on Ven’s shoulder.

Ven giggled. “Wow, Terra, you’re really into breaking the rules now!”

Xehanort chuckled, “Ven, you gotta live a little while you’re still alive! If this whole experience has taught me anything, it’s that you’ve got to take any opportunity to have fun and enjoy life while you can. And it’s okay to break the rules sometimes—no one gets hurt if you never get caught and they don’t find out, right?”

Ven nodded. “Right! We didn’t get in trouble the other day when we went riding outside of the castle grounds—and you were right, not telling Aqua meant she never had to worry!”

Xehanort smiled brightly at him. “You’re learning fast!”

Ven grinned back up at him. “So…what should we do?”

“You decide and lead the way!” Xehanort cheerfully told Ven.

Ven dropped what he was doing and put away his equipment before walking away with Xehanort, the two chuckling about something on the way out of the stables.

“That bastard… he’s being a bad influence on Ven!” Terra grumbled as soon as they were out of earshot.

“He actually seemed really nice,” Chip mused out loud.

“He’s just acting nice on purpose!” Terra growled. “And he’s giving terrible advice to Ven! I would never suggest any of those things to him—and he must be keeping it a secret from Aqua if I heard that correctly… What is that old bastard plotting?”

“Still, it doesn’t seem like your friend is in danger,” Dale interjected.

Terra groaned. “Yeah, Xehanort’s really worming his way into the castle to keep anyone from being suspicious of him… But he better not harm a single hair on Ven!”

“But now we can’t get you close enough to your friend Ven without Xehanort also seeing you,” Donald sighed.

Terra sighed. “Yeah…and why did he say there was a ball to prepare for?”

“Maybe we can still find Aqua,” Goofy brightly suggested. “She’s got to be somewhere around here, right? And if Xehanort is too busy spending time with Ven, then that means we shouldn’t have any trouble getting Aqua’s attention!”

Terra’s eyes brightened and he nodded. “You’re right, Goofy! There’s got to be a way for us to get inside the castle and find Aqua.”

“Well, they’re only watching out for birds right? What about chipmunks?” Chip suggested.

“Chip, you’re a genius!” Terra happily exclaimed.

Dale smiled back at Terra and added, “We can find Aqua and maybe we can get her to come outside!”

+

The chipmunks stealthily made their way past the nearest castle guards who were posted at an open archway, then they scurried beneath a big door to get into a large stone hallway.

Chip and Dale made sure to stay out of the way of the guards—and there were so many humans walking around carrying things or putting up decorations of ribbons and flowers—that hardly anyone paid attention to them as they hurried down each hall and chamber they could in search of the queen with blue hair.

Dale suddenly stopped in his tracks and stood up on his hind legs, sniffing. 

“What is it, Dale?” Chip asked.

“Oh, that smells so good!” Dale said, practically salivating.

Chip rolled his eyes. “We’re on a mission, remember!”

“But maybe we could stop and have a bite,” Dale suggested.

Chip sighed. “If you’re smelling food—then we must be close to the kitchen or the dining room! Isn’t that where Terra said Aqua might be?”

“Oh! You two seem to have lost your way!” 

Chip and Dale whipped around and stared up at the woman who had spoken to them—although they couldn’t understand human speech.

Chip gasped. “That must be Aqua!”

The blue haired young woman gently smiled at them and knelt down in front of them.

Both Chip and Dale scurried away from her and watched Aqua from a distance.

“It’s okay! I won’t hurt you,” she said as she tried to approach them again.

Chip glanced at Dale. “I don’t think she’ll hurt us, but we have to lead her back to Terra!”

Dale nodded. “Right!”

Chip stood up on his hind legs and tried to wave at her with his arms, then he pointed with his paws and his tail in the opposite direction. 

Aqua quirked an eyebrow and fondly giggled. “Are you two hungry?”

Dale scurried farther than Chip and did the same thing as his brother, hoping it would lead Aqua that way.

“…What do you two want?” Aqua said as she narrowed her eyes. Just as she stepped forward to follow them, a man had called out for her.

“Your highness!”

“Yes?” Aqua asked, turning around to face him.

The blue-haired man was in a two piece silver uniform, which meant he was a castle servant. He bowed and explained, “You are needed in the receiving chamber. Some of the diplomats from Anachór have arrived.”

“It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but… they need to be welcomed by you, Queen Aqua.”

Aqua sighed, then turned to the chipmunks. “Sorry, but duty calls.” She turned back to the servant who had addressed her. “Ienzo, get these two chipmunks some food and take them to a safe place outside.”

The chipmunks squeaked in protest, but Aqua simply smiled at them. “I hope you find your way home!”

“No! Aqua! Terra is out there waiting for you!” Chip and Dale protested futilely, since Aqua couldn’t understand chipmunk speech.

The chipmunks sighed at each other as the servant Ienzo awkwardly gathered them up in his arms and took them outside near the stables. He gathered up some oats from one of the horse stalls and placed them on the ground in front of the chipmunks.

“Queen Aqua is really making me do this, huh?” Ienzo smiled, then sighed, as if he didn’t know whether to be skeptical or amused about it.

Chip and Dale had long faces and didn’t bother touching the oats after Ienzo left them. Terra and the others watched the whole scene and came back out when it was safe to meet up with the chipmunks.

“What happened?” Terra asked.

“We found Aqua… but before we could get her to come out here, she got pulled away to do some queen business,” Chip dejectedly explained.

Terra sighed. “Right… she’s probably so busy now…especially if there’s some type of ball happening.”

“Let’s wait and try again at nightfall,” Donald suggested.

“Yeah, it’ll be harder for any guards to spot us and you know where Aqua will be since she’ll be at the ball!” Goofy cheerfully added.

Terra nodded. “You’re right Goofy. I guess we’ll wait, then…”  
  
  


VII.

In the summer evening light, Aqua glanced out the window, noting the looming gray clouds that began to cover up the entire sky. She frowned and then shook her head. 

_Why am I still checking for the moon? Terra’s here. We don’t have to worry about that anymore…_

She was nearly done getting dressed for the ball, which had already started. Since it was a ball to celebrate Terra’s return, it didn’t require any of the dreary formality that her coronation had. However, tonight’s ball was also going to be the stage for her and Terra’s engagement announcement, so she needed to wear something appropriate for the occasion. 

Aqua’s dress was uniquely tailored to her liking—she was supposed to wear it at her 18th birthday celebration, but since Terra couldn’t attend, she decided to wait to wear it for another occasion. The dress itself was more mature than anything she had decided to wear in the past, yet it wasn’t nearly as formal as her coronation dress. The design was simple: Aqua just wanted to wear something pretty that she could comfortably walk around and dance in. 

The bodice and long sleeves of the dress were made of white lace upon silk and it had a neckline that plunged just below her chest with only a modest amount of her chest exposed. The rest of her dress was a uniquely tailored combination of dark blue satin shorts and an attached skirt. The dark blue skirt was asymmetrical—short in the front and hovering just a few inches above her knees, and long in the back with dynamic flares along the chiffon fabric. She wore a matching dark blue chiffon sash that wrapped around her waist and ribboned from the back in two long elegant tails that blended in with the skirt. It was a dress that gave Aqua both mobility and elegance, and she hoped it was suitable enough for a queen to wear.

The only jewelry Aqua wore was the necklace Terra gave her—which she always wore—and she had replaced the black cord with a silver chain. In her hair rested a silver diadem that was cut into a curling leaf design with a copious amount of glistening crystals on it. It was much lighter than the official Queen’s crown Aqua wore at her coronation and it was securely nestled in her hair, kept in place with silver pins. Aqua’s hair was also combed to look a bit more soft than usual—but her bangs still strayed across her forehead.

Aqua looked in the mirror and surveyed her outfit. She sucked in a deep breath. “Just be yourself! This night is about Terra, and it’s about supporting him…”

But then she looked down at her bare feet and realized she wasn’t done getting ready. Which shoes would she go for? The heels that were going to make her feet feel like they were stabbed by knives all night or the boots that she sometimes wore under long skirts? She wouldn’t be able to hide her footwear with this dress that exposed her legs, and she knew that whichever shoes she wore would be a statement—after all, it was her first public appearance as the Queen of Rainfell since the coronation.

Before she could make a decision, there was a knock at Aqua’s door.

Aqua straightened up and called out, “Who is it?”

“Aqua, it’s me, Ven!” 

Aqua smiled. At least Ven was still Ven. “Come in!”

Ven had a wide grin on his face as he scampered into her room, and he stopped as soon as he saw Aqua. “Wow, you look great!”

“Thanks, Ven,” Aqua replied. “Is there something you needed?”

“The ball’s about to start. I was coming to get you.”

Aqua bent her brows. “Did Terra send you?”

Ven sheepishly smiled. “Yeah…actually.”

Aqua nodded. “So… he wanted me to be on time?”

“…Is there something wrong with that?” Ven asked.

“No… Not really.” Aqua glanced back in the mirror, feeling her heart pound uncomfortably.

_Except…Terra doesn’t usually care about being on time… and why does he want to make sure I’m ready and on time? This is my castle! I’m the Queen here…_

“Is something wrong, Aqua?” Ven asked.

Aqua was about to say no, but instead said, “Hey, Ven…have you noticed Terra acting weird?”

“Weird? How?”

“Like…not acting like he normally does.”

Ven screwed his mouth into a frown as he thought about it. “…Nah, not really! I mean, we’ve been having more fun lately and he hasn’t cared about the rules, but—“

“What do you mean, you’ve been having more fun lately? I’ve barely been able to spend any time with him the last two days,” Aqua explained with a raise of her eyebrows.

Ven sheepishly smiled. “Oh…haha, well, I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but Terra and I went riding horses outside of the castle grounds and we hung out a lot today… and… I skipped work.”

“ _Ven!_ ” Aqua said with a frown.

Ven hung his head and sighed. “I know it wasn’t right to not say anything to you about it, but…I didn’t want you to worry… Are you mad?”

Aqua sighed. “I’m not mad, Ven… We’ve always wanted to go racing horses outside of the castle grounds for fun—I just had to wait until I was a queen so that I didn’t have to follow that rule anymore. But I thought that Terra would have waited for me to go do that…”

Ven shrugged. “I think Terra knew you were too busy and he was doing fun things with me to try and make up for lost time. But I could have said no when he asked…”

Aqua sighed and shook her head. “You know what? It’s fine. I’m reading too much into it.”

“Do you think something’s wrong, Aqua?” Ven quietly asked.

“No… never mind.” Aqua breathed out a laugh. “Terra’s back and that’s the most important thing, right?”

Ven smiled. “Right!”

Aqua smiled and reached forward to ruffle his hair. “I like the little getup you have on, too.”

Ven was wearing a short white and beige jacket over a black blouse, combined with dark trousers and shiny leather boots—they were riding boots, but of royal quality. Aqua had outfits tailored and made for Ven a few months ago, so she was happy that he got the chance to wear them at occasions like this, looking like a little prince himself.

“Thanks! Wait’ll you see Terra!” Ven grinned. 

Aqua smiled again. “Alright, I’ll be down soon. I just need to decide which shoes I’m wearing.”

“Really?” Ven said with a laugh.

Aqua smiled and then laughed, too. She shook her head at herself. 

_Why am I worrying so much? I already know which shoes I want to wear_!

She picked up the knee high boots made of shining black leather.

+

Ven had waited for Aqua to put on her boots before they both walked down to make their way towards the Grand Hall, where the ball was being held. Many guests had already arrived and Aqua and Terra were going to make an official entrance together. Terra was already waiting for her at the bottom of the stairwell that connected to the royal chambers.

Aqua had to stop in her tracks as soon as she saw Terra’s outfit. First of all—he was wearing a black and red cape that he let drape over one of his shoulders—second of all, he was wearing a bright red velvet doublet with embellished puffy sleeves at the elbow, the sigil of Anachór big and highly visible in shining golden fabric—and third of all, and the most shocking—was that he was wearing a golden crown upon his head, which was designed with many rounded arches and black pearls strewn along the length of it. 

Aqua’s eyes were wide with shock and she was at a loss for words. And now she worried about the way she looked because Terra looked like he was dressed for a coronation! She had never even worn so much as a tiara before becoming Queen, except for her birthday celebrations—and she had _never_ seen Terra wear a crown before if her memory over the last ten years served her right.

“Aqua?” Terra turned his head and looked up as he noticed her at the top of the stairs.

“Terra…!” Aqua put a smile on her face to try and hide her awkwardness from the shock she felt. She continued walking down the stairs and tried to regain her composure as Terra smiled up at her, waiting for her to reach him.

“You look beautiful,” Terra told her as he extended a hand, waiting for Aqua to take it.

“…You, too!” Aqua said as she took Terra’s hand.

Terra grinned and then glanced at her outfit, scanning his eyes up and down. “Interesting choice of footwear… are you planning on going riding in the middle of our ball?”

Terra was snorting now, and Aqua tensed her brow, a bit offended at the joke.

“This is your ball, remember? I don’t have to impress anyone,” Aqua said. “And besides, I just want to be comfortable!”

Terra nodded. “Right. Ever the unconventional queen...”

Aqua frowned. There was something about Terra’s tone that made it feel unlike his usual ribbing…

“Well, you look a little too dressed up if you ask me!” Aqua said as she took her hand from Terra and then placed both of her hands on her hips. “Since when do you wear a cape? Or a crown?”

Terra smirked to the side. “Well, technically it’s my first appearance as the King of Anachór. Although this is just a coronet, reserved for a Prince of Anachór.”

“How come I’ve never seen you wear it, then?” Aqua asked.

“King Eraqus thought that the King should be the only one to wear a crown in Anachór. And well, he’s not here anymore, so…” Terra shrugged his shoulders as he grinned.

Aqua furrowed her brow and cleared her throat uncomfortably. “But… even still, you’re not a king until you get crowned at a coronation. After all, no one treated me like a queen for sixteen years—and I didn’t have a crown on my head until the coronation.”

Terra just scoffed, “Well, that’s because you were still a child for sixteen years.”

Aqua raised a brow and frowned at him. Since when did Terra…say mean things like this to her? They joked around together a lot, but…not like this.

“What’s wrong, Aqua?” Terra asked.

“It’s about time you bowed to me, isn’t it?” Aqua asked as she straightened her stature. “After all, _I’m_ the Queen of this castle and you are still a prince, after all.”

“Not for long.” Terra smirked at her, then knelt down on one knee.

Aqua watched as he stood back up and she smiled, feeling only a little satisfied. She still felt so uneasy about the way Terra was dressed and the way he was acting right now.

Terra placed a hand at her elbow. “Come on, I’m just having a bit of fun with you. Lighten up!” He smiled, and then lowered his voice. “Remember, this engagement is for the both of us. You don’t have to announce it tonight if you don’t want to… but it would probably have a better effect coming from you and coming from within Rainfell—since, you know, here is where you publicly rejected my first proposal.”

Aqua winced in guilt. “…I know.”

Terra smiled at her. “But only if you want to!”

“I do!” Aqua protested. She smiled at him now, hoping that would ease the tension she felt between them in this moment.

Terra offered her his arm to her again. “Shall we, then?”

They walked arm in arm into the Grand Hall where the ball was being held and a herald announced their arrival. Aqua and Terra were greeted with bows and curtsies from the ball guests—most of whom were members of both Rainfell and Anachór’s noble courts, and some of the prominent leaders of Rainfell’s provinces. Aqua still couldn’t believe that Terra had gone and arranged all of this without her input.

Guards were posted around the perimeter of the Grand Hall, and Aqua recognized the black armor of a few guards who weren’t from Rainfell—they were from Anachór. Aqua was relieved when she looked closely and saw the black hair and blue eyes of her new dear friend Zack, finally returned to Rainfell.

“Zack is back!” Aqua exclaimed with a grin to Terra. “Let’s go say hi to him and Aerith!”

Terra glanced over at Zack, then turned back to Aqua with a smile. “You go without me. I have to greet some more nobles from Rainfell first.”

“Oh… are you sure?” Aqua asked.

“Sure! I’ll see him later,” Terra said with a grin.

Aqua nodded and smiled, though she felt uneasy once more. Terra was again putting his duty above his friend…and she couldn’t understand why.

Aqua walked over to Zack, who was posted and standing with perfect posture against the wall—but Aerith was standing next to him to keep him company, it looked like. Zack was in his regular Captain of the Guard armor while Aerith looked like an angel next to him. She had her hair curled and let loose except for a clip for the top section and she wore a white and pink A-line dress that had a slim skirt and a matching rose-pink bolero jacket with ruffles along the collar.

“Zack! Aerith!” Aqua rushed up to them both and Zack gave her a polite bow while Aerith curtsied.

“Aqua! You look beautiful!” Aerith exclaimed as she looked her over.

“Thank you, Aerith, you too!” Aqua cheerfully returned. “Zack, how are you?”

Zack smiled and nodded politely. “I’m doing well, Aqua! So… Terra’s finally back. I bet you’re thrilled!”

Aqua quietly nodded and tried to smile. “That’s one way to put it.”

Aerith stared at her with concern. “Are you still worried about him?”

Aqua sighed as she turned to look at Terra, who was currently shaking hands with a diplomat. “He’s…just been a bit different. But I’m sure all of this has been weighing on him, and soon he’ll go back to normal.”

Aerith wrinkled her brow. “If you say so.”

Zack was looking at Aqua with what she might almost call pain in his eyes. 

“Zack?” Aqua questioned. “Is there something you want to say?”

“No… It’s just… I hope you’re right.” He smiled and pursed his lips. “You should go back to Terra, enjoy the ball.”

Aqua nodded, though she gave him a sad look. “I wish you weren’t on duty! Did Terra make you and your squad come just to be on duty?”

Zack shook his head. “No, I wanted to be here for my Prince and to protect him if I needed to.”

Aqua tilted her head in skepticism, but then Aerith moved forward and grabbed her wrist gently. “Aqua, just try to relax and enjoy tonight. We can talk later, too, if you need to!”

Aqua smiled. “Thanks, Aerith… I guess I’ll get back to Terra now.”

+

Terra and his friends flew around the castle at night and they were able to look through one of the windows of the Grand Hall without being detected.

“There she is!” Terra exclaimed as he saw Aqua speaking to his imposter. Terra grimaced—well, as much as he could with a beak—and sputtered, “What the hell is he wearing?”

“You don’t dress like that?” Goofy asked, still dangling from the rope that Donald was carrying in his beak.

“No!” Terra replied. “That arrogant bastard is already dressing like he’s a king!”

“So how do we get you in there so Aqua sees you?” Chip asked Terra.

“And how do we make sure you get to her alone so that Xehanort doesn’t see you?” Dale added.

“I don’t care if he sees me at this point—if I can get Aqua to realize I’m the real Terra, then it’s over for him, anyway,” Terra argued as he continued to observe the scene. He kept his eyes on Aqua and watched for any sign that she might not be completely fooled by Xehanort.

“Ooh, it looks like everyone is going to start dancing!” Goofy exclaimed a few minutes later.

“Dancing?” Donald said in a garbled squawk. “We don’t have time for that!”

Terra watched as Xehanort offered his hand to Aqua and she took it with a smile as they approached the dance floor. 

A pain struck Terra’s heart then. _Aqua and I have never danced together, and now that first dance is going to be with Xehanort…_

“What do we do?” Chip asked.

“Maybe we should wait until they stop dancing,” Terra said. He hoped it wouldn’t last very long.

+

Aqua had decided to dance with Terra once the small orchestra began to play a waltz and she was surprised that he wanted to actually dance with her and do something fun for a change—a change for these last few days, at least. They had never danced together, and she was nervous about how well they would do, but Terra was a natural and led her with grace. 

“I never knew you knew how to dance,” Aqua told him in the middle of their waltz. 

“I had to take dance lessons in Anachór just like you did here,” Terra said with a smirk. “Sorry if I’ve been a bit tense tonight, Aqua. I noticed you haven’t seemed to be happy all night.”

“Uh…”

“It’s okay.”

“Well… you kind of have been a bit of a jerk all night,” Aqua said as they moved through a promenade.

Terra glanced down as he touched Aqua’s palm with his, as part of the dance. “You’re right… I’m sorry.”

Aqua stared at him with concern. “Terra… Just let me know what’s going on. Is everything okay?”

Terra swallowed, and they got back into their waltz position. “Aqua, it’s just… I’m scared. What if I go back to Anachór and no one wants me to be their king? After your coronation, I was sure that everyone lost faith in the alliance…and what if that meant they lost faith in me as their future king?”

“Terra…”

Terra kept his eyes down and frowned. “But if you don’t want to do this—you don’t have to…”

Aqua sighed. She knew better than anyone how insecurity of the crown could affect a person's mood and cause them to say and do things they didn’t mean to.

“Terra…” She stopped waltzing and Terra stopped, too. “I understand your insecurity. Believe me, I do. Just… could you be a bit less of a jerk about it?”

Terra lightly grinned at Aqua, his golden eyes glinting at her. “I’m terribly sorry. Do you forgive me?”

“Of course, I do.” Aqua closed her eyes. “All of this mess started after I was a jerk to you, anyway.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Terra said with a smile.

“Terra!” Aqua lightly punched his bicep.

He grinned. “Well—I meant what I said. Is getting engaged to me still something you want to do?”

Aqua glanced down. “I mean… it’ll help you, right?”

“Thank you, Aqua,” Terra replied.

Aqua breathed in deep. “It’s just one or two sentences I have to say in front of everyone, right?”

Terra smiled. “Right.”

+

  
  


Terra hated having to watch someone in his likeness dance with Aqua and he wished it could be over soon. Luckily, his wishes were soon granted as the clocktower struck nine. As the bells rang, the dancing stopped and Terra watched as Aqua walked hand in hand with his imposter toward the same dais where Aqua had been seated upon the throne at her coronation. 

Xehanort was apparently going to do a speech, so Terra and his friends tried to find a window that was cracked open so they could hear what he said. But they couldn’t find an open window, so Donald improvised and let go of Goofy when they all had secure footing on a window ledge—and he proceeded to smash a hole into one of the stained glass windows with his beak.

“Donald!” Terra gasped.

“No one heard it!” Donald hissed back.

Terra put his head close to the hole in the window and strained to try and hear Xehanort’s speech. He had a bad feeling about this.

“Lastly, I want to thank everyone for attending this ball to celebrate my return. There are truly no words to express the grief I feel for my father, King Eraqus, who was taken from us too soon. But I know he would want me to carry on his legacy as King of Anachór. I would also like to express here and now—so that there is no misinterpretation—that Anachór will continue the alliance with Rainfell.”

“What the hell is he doing?” Terra muttered.

There was a low murmur of claps and talking among the ball guests, while Aqua took up Xehanort’s position at the center of the dais. Was she going to talk, too? She was smiling, but she also looked nervous.

“As Queen of Rainfell, I would like to second Prince Terra’s sentiment about upholding the alliance between Rainfell and Anachór. In fact, I have made a decision that will affect both of our kingdoms’ futures.” Aqua cleared her throat and stood taller. “I would like to formally announce that I am engaged to be married—and my husband to be, the person I choose to be at my side as I rule Rainfell, is the Prince and future King Terra of Anachór.”

At that, there was a mix of gasps and murmurs followed by cheers and a standing ovation from the ball guests. Terra couldn’t believe what he had heard.

“No…!” He felt sick—like a stone had dropped into his stomach.

_Xehanort’s plan is actually working—everyone in this room is fooled! But…how could Aqua agree to marry him? Would she have really married me if I asked again…?_

Terra snapped out of his panic. This didn’t change anything—if he could just get to Aqua, she would realize who he really was and then—

Xehanort stepped next to Aqua and spoke again. “And to prove that this isn’t just a marriage of convenience or political gain, I want to show everyone that there is still genuine love between us both. I am filled with so much happiness to be able to marry Queen Aqua, who has been my best friend for so many years and will soon make a wonderful wife!”

Xehanort placed an arm around Aqua’s waist at that moment, and she turned to him with what looked like apprehension to Terra. Then Xehanort reached his other hand to cup her jaw, leaning in close.

Aqua had her brow furrowed, as if she hadn’t been expecting it. Terra could see that Aqua pressed her elbow against Xehanort’s ribs to try and stop him, and mouthed something to him in protest—but Xehanort took that as indication to grab onto her even more securely and leaned in again.

“No! Aqua!!!” 

At that moment, Terra decided to take flight and used all his might to push through the window and crash through the glass. He didn’t care that it hurt—there was no way he was going to allow Xehanort to do any more harm!

  
  
  


VIII.

After Aqua had made the engagement announcement, her heart didn’t stop its wild beating. She still wondered if this was the right thing to do—but then Terra distracted her by grabbing her waist and turning her to face him.

“…Huh?”

“Just go with it,” he whispered to her as he held her closer to him and leaned in.

“What—Terra, no!“ she whispered out as she pressed a hand between them. “What are you doing?”

Was he really going to try and kiss her in front of everyone? And without her consent?

“Don’t you want everyone to believe this is real?” Terra asked before he moved in close again, gripping Aqua even tighter this time.

Before Terra could land a kiss on Aqua, a loud crash sounded and Aqua jerked away from his grip. Screams of shock rang out in the Grand Hall and Aqua glanced up to see something white fly through one of the high windows. It was soaring straight towards her and Terra—and that’s when she noticed that—it was a swan—and there was something shining on its neck. 

When Aqua looked more closely at the swan, she could see that the shining object was definitely orange and it looked like the necklace she had made for Terra. This couldn’t be a coincidence. That swan was Terra.

“…Terra?!” Aqua called out as he soared up to the top of the Grand Hall.

Then she turned back to the Terra standing next to her and felt her whole body seize with the realization that this wasn’t her best friend. He had been paying her no mind, a scowl on his face as he glared up at the swan. 

“Terra… what happened to the necklace I gave you?” Aqua carefully asked the man next to her, looking between him and the swan she saw circling back.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “What necklace?”

Aqua gasped and retreated a couple steps away from this imposter. “You’re not Terra!”

“Aqua, what are you talking about?” he said with a short laugh.

“I knew something was wrong, and I should have realized it much sooner!" Aqua glared at him. “Ugh, and I can’t believe what you just tried to do!”

The imposter let a smirk curl up the side of his face as he stared calmly at Aqua, a sinister expression in his golden eyes. “Well, you’ve found me out. Although I was curious to see just how far you would be willing to go for your precious prince. You are such a forgiving queen—so clouded by your love for that foolish boy.”

“You’re him, aren’t you? Xehanort...” Aqua sneered as she backed away from him. She thought about how quickly she might be able to reach a weapon in this room.

The imposter narrowed his golden eyes at Aqua. “As far as the world is concerned, I will be the King of Anachór, and you will be my Queen. And then everyone in Rainfell and Anachór will bow to me. Including you, Aqua.”

“Never!” Aqua spat out. She folded her hands into fists and prepared herself for a fight—but at that second, Terra came careening down in flight and struck hard to hit the disguised Xehanort in the face, flapping his large wings on either side of the sorcerer’s head.

“Augh, stupid boy!” Xehanort growled as he wildly swung out his arms in defense.

“Terra!” Aqua rushed to stop Xehanort from harming Terra, and shoved him off the raised dais to the ground.

“Queen Aqua!” someone gasped.

Another guest cried out, “Why is the Queen attacking Prince Terra?!”

“This man is not Prince Terra!” Aqua shouted as she addressed the ball guests. “You all need to evacuate this hall—it’s dangerous if you stay here! Go now!”

Xehanort got up quickly and began to saunter towards Aqua, throwing off his coronet and his cape. 

“You all had to make this so difficult…” Mystical purple flames began to surround Xehanort’s right arm, burning off the fabric of the doublet’s sleeve. “We could have done this peacefully. We were so close…! But I’m afraid that I no longer have a use for you, little queen.”

“You think I won’t put up a fight?” Aqua squared her shoulders as she put her fists up. “I don’t need a weapon to fight you!”

“What a coincidence, neither do I!” Xehanort stretched out his palm and launched a violet ball of fire toward Aqua.

Aqua gasped as she shielded herself with an arm—but nothing hurt her, and she heard the cry of a swan instead. 

“Terra!” Aqua screamed. She watched as he careened and hit the ground hard, sliding until he eventually came to a stop—no longer moving. Aqua ran to him while Xehanort continued to talk.

“What a pathetic fool! He believes that you do not love him, and yet he would still die for you because he loves you,” Xehanort sneered.

“Shut up!” Aqua spat before turning to look down at Terra. She knelt down and gently scooped him up into her arms, holding his head steady. His feathers were singed and ruffled, and he was breathing in and out quickly, his eyes weakly half lidded. 

“Terra, you’ll be okay!” Aqua told him with tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much for protecting me—I’ll be the one to protect you now!”

She softly stroked the plumage along Terra’s head and neck, then she carefully stood up with him in her arms.

“Aqua!” Zack came rushing to her side and defended her from an attempted attack from Xehanort—who had somehow conjured up an evil-looking sword that was twisted in its shape, with the image of a goat embedded on the steel.

“Zack!” Aqua retreated with hesitation, still holding Terra in her arms. 

“Get Terra out of here! I’ll hold off this asshole!” Zack groaned as he parried and struck out at Xehanort.

Aqua nodded and ran towards one of the exits, where she saw Ven and Aerith standing together as they watched the scene.

Xehanort smiled in retort. “Not so fast! Prepare to witness the power of the Forbidden Arts!” He raised his arm up above him and suddenly, violet bolts of lightning struck out of thin air around him. He sent that barrage to hit both Zack and Aqua, who cried out in pain as the shocks traveled throughout their bodies.

Aqua cradled Terra close to her chest, determined to shield him from the blows, and to not to let him get harmed again. She looked down and saw that he was breathing weakly, but staring up at her with concern. 

“It’ll…be okay, Terra!” Aqua gritted out through the pain. “I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore!” Terra softly cried out in his swan voice, and Aqua did her best to stand against the pain.

The lightning bolts suddenly stopped and Xehanort was cackling. “Had enough?”

With the lightning cleared, Aqua could see that Xehanort’s hair had grown silver now and his ears had become pointed. His voice had also become much deeper, and it no longer sounded like Terra’s voice. She bent her eyebrows and remarked, “You’re changing…”

“Ah, it must mean the magic may be wearing out because Prince Terra is close to death,” Xehanort replied. “After all, the magic decrees that I cannot wear the visage of a dead man.”

“He’s not going to die!” Aqua retorted with a fierce scowl.

“Aqua get out of here!” Zack shouted. “You have to get yourself and Terra to safety!”

Aqua nodded and ran while she had the chance this time. On her way to Aerith and Ven, she passed two of Terra’s other guards running in the opposing direction—Cloud and Tifa, she remembered—and they sprinted to come to their Captain’s aid against Xehanort.

Aqua kept running with Terra held securely against her chest until Aerith and Ven beckoned her to hide behind a table they had apparently turned over to use as shelter from Xehanort’s attack.

After Aqua knelt down, she held Terra’s swan form gently and cradled him into Ven’s arms. “Ven—get out of here and take care of Terra, he’s hurt.” 

“This is Terra?!” Ven exclaimed.

“Yes! He needs to be taken someplace safe, away from Xehanort. Can you do that for me, Ven?” Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ven nodded and immediately turned to run and carry the barely conscious Terra in his arms.

Aqua turned back to Aerith. “I have to go back and help Zack!”

Aerith held onto her wrist. “Aqua, you don’t have a weapon!”

“I don’t care!” Aqua got up and began to sprint back towards the dais—where Xehanort was fighting against Terra’s three guards.

Just when she was about to reach them, Zack was thrown from the dais and landed on his back. He was weakly glancing up at Aqua as he grinned.

“Zack!” Aqua helped him sit up and then come to a stand, meanwhile Tifa and Cloud continued to hold off Xehanort, who decided to fight them both with his sword again.

“Aqua, if you’re gonna fight…” Zack reached up and grabbed something from his back—which was apparently another sword he had strapped to him. He held the blade out to Aqua and she took it by the hilt, noting that it was a rapier. “Here ya go, Terra’s real coronation present for you!”

“What?” Aqua exclaimed as she stared at the shining silver rapier in her hand. “Did you just decide to have this on you tonight?”

Zack smirked as he picked up his own heavy sword again. “I’m not as dumb as this sorcerer thinks I am—I knew that something was up when he showed up to my door in the middle of the night before seeing you—the real Terra would never! I mean, he’s my best friend, but he definitely would have gone back to see you first! And then that order to immediately return to Anachór confirmed my suspicions.” 

“Zack!” It was Aerith who had cried out and had come running toward Aqua and Zack. She had a lance in her hands—and it looked like she had taken it from a Rainfell guard.

“Aerith?!” both Aqua and Zack exlaimed.

“Don’t tell me not to fight,” Aerith said with a frown as she caught up to them both.

“I won’t!” Zack said before he turned back to Aqua. “Anyway, I knew the whole time that this guy couldn’t be Terra! But I had to make sure I didn’t let on that I suspected the truth, and I knew I had to come back prepared for a fight—so that’s why I left as requested—and brought back the rest of the guard from Anachór. I thought you might need a sword, too, so… what better equipment than the sword Terra had made specially for you?”

“Terra…had this made for me?” Aqua thought with fondness. Then she fiercely glanced back up at Xehanort, who was beginning to overpower the other guards. “Then I’ll have to use it well.”

“So that’s why you were so confident and left without hesitation,” Aerith told Zack with a fond look. “I’m sorry I doubted you even a little, Zack.”

“Fooled ya, didn’t I?” Zack told her with a wink. “Aren’t you happy you’re married to such a clever and handsome guy?”

“You could have let me in on the secret and saved me some grief!” Aerith grumbled with a pout on her lips.

“I’m sorry I let you think I’d leave you alone again,” Zack said. He took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I had to keep you in the dark, too, because it was the only way I could make sure I was prepared for this battle if no one, not even my wife, suspected a thing. Do you forgive me?”

Aerith lost her grumpy look and nodded quickly before she threw an arm around Zack’s neck and gave him a kiss.

“How touching,” Xehanort remarked. He was walking down the steps of the dais now, while Aqua could see that Cloud and Tifa were struggling to stand behind him. “But you won’t be able to stop me. However, if you stand down now, Captain Fair, I might still have a job for you when I become King.”

Zack stood in front of Aerith and glared at Xehanort. “No, thanks!”

“Have it your way,” Xehanort said with a shrug. And an instant later, he was striking out at Zack, who had just guarded himself in time to block Xehanort’s sword.

“Grrr!” Zack slid back a bit on his heels while Aqua pulled Aerith out of the way.

“Amazing reflexes!” Xehanort struck again, and this time Zack parried and began to strike out back at him.

“You won’t…win!” Zack gritted before going toe to toe with Xehanort, clashing with equal might and skill.

Even though Aqua wanted to help, there was no way for her to interfere without getting caught in the crossfire of each swordsman’s ferocity. Zack was tripped up when Xehanort teleported within a dark, fiery portal and dealt him a hard blow from behind, sending him falling forward.

“Zack!” Aerith cried out as she ran to him. Zack was unconscious, bleeding on the ground, and Aerith glanced up as Xehanort approached her. She stood up quick, readying her lance to defend both herself and Zack.

Aqua lunged to place herself in front of Zack and Aerith, facing Xehanort. “Get Zack out of here! I’ll take on Xehanort,” she told Aerith.

Aerith nodded, though she struggled to carry Zack, and had him propped over her shoulders. “Be careful, Aqua!”

“I’ll be fine! Go!” Aqua shouted.

“There’s no one here to protect you anymore, little queen,” Xehanort taunted. 

Aqua brandished her new sword and saw that on the hilt was a silver tassel that contained a charm just like the one Terra had carved for her out of wood—except this charm was metal. She could only briefly appreciate for a second how much more fitting it was that Terra’s real gift to celebrate her coronation was a sword.

“I don’t need anyone to protect me,” Aqua told him with a fierce glare. “I’ll defeat you myself!”

Xehanort smirked and let out a soft chuckle. “Come at me, then!”

Aqua and the sorcerer clashed blades, and she was able to block and parry each of his strikes, but it was starting to wear her down. Xehanort was strong and he was a much more aggressive fighter than Terra was. However, Aqua’s greatest skill with a rapier was her speed and agility. She did a one handed cartwheel to dodge out of the way of a strike and slashed at Xehanort’s leg just above the knee.

Xehanort let out a brief groan of pain, but then he chuckled before he lunged forward and crossed blades with Aqua again. “I see your choice of dress was actually appropriate tonight, Queen Aqua. And it will be beautiful enough to lay you to rest in!”

He pushed hard against Aqua and knocked her down to the ground. Aqua caught herself on her palms, just when a few dozen of her own guards came running to surround her and Xehanort. 

“Protect the Queen!” Aeleus, her Captain of the Guard, ordered.

“I’m fine,” Aqua said as she stood up and shook off the blow to her knees from the fall.

“Ah, so Rainfell finally assembles its guard,” Xehanort remarked with condescension. “Is that why an alliance with Anachór is necessary? Because your own forces can’t protect their precious queen in time?”

Aqua took a few steps forward and raised her rapier at Xehanort. “You’re surrounded, Xehanort. You’ve lost. Drop your weapon.”

Xehanort narrowed his golden eyes and smirked sinisterly, an expression that made Aqua shudder to see on Terra’s face. 

“Oh, no… We are just beginning, little queen.”

Aqua frowned. “If you do not drop your weapon, I will have to order my guards to release their arrows.”

Xehanort raised out his arms as he laughed in contempt, the sword still in his hand. “Fire away. Let me see the strength of Rainfell.”

“Xehanort… this is your last chance!” Aqua gave him a hard scowl. “I would prefer to bring you to justice in Anachór for the crime of murdering King Eraqus and kidnapping Prince Terra. So if you want to live, drop your weapon!”

“Justice?” Xehanort chuckled. “Your compassion is your weakness, Queen Aqua. How many more chances will you give me before you die by my hand?”

He prepared to lunge and strike at Aqua, and she raised her sword in defense. At the same time, Aeleus shouted the order for the guards of Rainfell to shoot their arrows at Xehanort.

A flurry of arrows were directed at Xehanort, who had somehow conjured up purple and black flames around his body, which seemed to literally melt the arrows that never made their mark.

Eventually, Aeleus had to order his guard to stop and when the flames disappeared around Xehanort, he was unscathed and grinning at Aqua.

“He…he survived?!” a guard gasped out. The guards instinctively backed away from Xehanort, uncertain of what to do next.

Xehanort sinisterly laughed. “None of you are a match for the Forbidden Arts!” 

“Captain, Queen Aqua—what shall you have us do?!” Dilan frantically asked.

Before Aqua could answer, Xehanort continued, “This has gone on a bit too long for my taste and I have become bored. I guess I must go with Plan B… Kill all of you so that there is no court left of Anachór or Rainfell to rule.”

Xehanort held out both his palms to the sides, dismissing his sword into thin air. Then he quietly, but emphatically, chanted, “ _Fio Draconus!_ ” 

Aqua’s jaw dropped as she saw Xehanort, engulfed in black and violet flames, warp and rise into the air, growing taller, longer, and wider, all at the same time until he was unrecognizable as a human. And once the flames burst, a dark violet dragon with black spikes along its spine, and glowing yellow eyes roared and shook the entire building.

There was no warning before Xehanort began to breathe that same violet fire at the guards that surrounded him. Aqua was pulled out of the way by Dilan and he put up a shield to protect them both from the flames.

“Move away from the dragon!” Aelus roared to the guard company. They retreated and many of them proceeded to shoot arrows at the beast—but it looked like the arrows still weren’t doing any harm. Xehanort began to stomp towards any guards he could reach and he set anything he came across on fire.

“We have to do something!” Aqua cried out as she moved away from Dilan. She wasn’t completely spared from the fire, as the tips of her hair were singed and her skirt had flames that she had to stamp out herself.

“This is the same monster that killed King Eraqus, isn’t it?” Dilan asked.

Aqua nodded. “Yes. But there has to be a way to kill him!”

“We need military weapons to defeat something this large and destructive. Arrows aren’t doing anything!” Aeleus groaned.

“Do you think a sword could do damage?” Aqua asked as she picked up her own sword.

Aeleus shook his head. “Your highness, you can’t possibly think—“

“If I can get up on the dragon’s back….then I could slice at him from up there!” Aqua protested. She ran ahead before her guards could protest and run after her.

“Aqua!”

It was a woman’s voice she heard and she recognized it as Aerith’s. Aqua turned around and saw Aerith running after her, with her skirt hiked up, revealing brown leather boots that she was wearing.

“Aqua… I can try to help!” Aerith gasped.

“Aerith, no—“

“What? I might not be a guard, but I know a thing or two about fighting!” Aerith was frowning at Aqua. “Besides, Zack’s out of commission and the rest of the building is getting burned down! We don’t have time to argue!”

Aqua nodded. “Then when I say so, we need to get close enough to the dragon so that I can get on its tail…I just need a boost.”

Aerith nodded back. “Got it!”

“That doesn’t sound like such a good idea…” It was Tifa who had just spoken, Terra’s beautiful, long-haired guard. She was roughed up from her battle with Xehanort, but still standing tall.

“Tifa’s right. We can get you up there with much more ease,” Cloud added. Aqua remembered him as the blonde one who didn’t speak much. 

Tifa wrinkled her brow in concern. “But I don’t think a queen—“

“Queen Aqua isn’t just any queen! She’s a warrior,” Aerith said with an admiring smile.

“It’s true, Prince Terra tells us you’re the best fighter with a sword that he knows,” Cloud added. “We can guard you while you get up on the dragon’s back. From there…it’s all you.”

Aqua raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Thank you…Cloud, was it?”

“Yay, Cloud!” Aerith said as she clapped her hands. “Tifa, you’ll guard me, right?”

“Aerith, you should stay here,” Tifa protested with a wrinkled brow of concern.

Aerith shook her head. “I can’t just sit back and watch while you all risk your lives!”

“You know, once she’s made up her mind, that’s it,” Aqua told Tifa with a smile.

Tifa sighed and glanced at Aerith. “Then I’ll guard you, Aerith! Cloud—you protect the Queen!”

“Got it,” Cloud said. He turned to Aqua. “Ready when you are, your highness.”

Aqua nodded. “Let’s go—now!”

The four of them went together, ducking underneath the dragon’s flames, crumbling stone, glass, and debris from the charring decorations. They were able to get close enough behind Xehanort’s tail—while he was busy brushing off arrows and attacking the guards who got in his way.

“Cloud—your shield!” Tifa told him. 

“Way ahead of you,” Cloud said as he shrugged the shield off his arm and handed it to Tifa.

“When you’re ready, your highness—we’ll get as close as we can to the dragon’s tail, and be ready to jump after I give you a boost,” Tifa told her.

Aqua nodded. “Thank you, Tifa!”

“And I’ll be there to throw you your sword!” Aerith told her enthusiastically. 

“I think I should do that,” Cloud countered.

Aerith frowned at him as she took the rapier from Aqua’s hand. “I’ll be the one to do it!”

“I don’t care which one of you does it!” Aqua interjected. “Just be ready—I have a feeling I’ll only have a few seconds to steady myself before Xehanort finds out what I’m doing.”

Tifa was kneeling with the shield raised above her shoulder, carrying it with both arms. “Ready when you are.”

Aqua took in a deep breath before she looked up to where Xehanort’s dragon form was, just a couple meters above where they stood. Then she glanced back at Tifa, giving her a nod. Aqua ran in a swift and steady motion before hopping up onto Tifa’s shield, when she felt a powerful boost from beneath her feet and she finished her leap onto the dragon’s tail, hooking her arm around one of the black spines. 

Cloud took that chance to slice at Xehanort’s hind leg with his sword, distracting the monster momentarily from discovering Aqua—meanwhile, Aerith shouted, “Aqua! Your sword!”

Aqua had just been able to stand up as Aerith sent the rapier soaring through the air—It missed Aqua, but it stuck its landing into Xehanort’s tail, which caused him to roar out again.

“Whoops!” Aerith said with a giggle. 

Aqua grinned and pulled the sword out of the Xehanort’s tail before he began to thrash around—swiping his tail to take out Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith all in one sweep. 

Aqua had been able to hold on during Xehanort’s thrashing and made the grueling climb across his back towards the front of his body. It was a struggle to reach his neck since he made every attempt to violently shake her off—but he wasn’t too strong for Aqua. 

“That’s enough!” Aqua growled as she stabbed her rapier into the back of Xehanort’s dragon neck. He screeched in pain and spasmed, causing Aqua to slide and lose her footing. She was still holding onto the hilt of her sword with all her strength, the only thing that kept her from falling as she dangled several meters above the ground.

“You annoying little girl!” Xehanort howled. He tried to claw up at his neck where Aqua was, but his limbs weren’t long or flexible enough to reach her.

Aqua focused and used her core strength to swing her body back up so she could stand on Xehanort's shoulders. After ripping the sword from his neck, she stabbed him again in the space between his neck and shoulders, causing him to howl out in pain again.

“It’ll take more than that to kill me!” Xehanort growled, just before he spread out his wings and started to take flight. There was obviously nowhere for him to fly unless he broke through the stone roof of the Grand Hall—and that’s exactly what he seemed to want to do as he breathed fire onto the roof, causing fragments of stone and glass to fall. Aqua tried to shield herself as she held on to Xehanort, gripping her sword’s hilt again.

The stone structure stood strong and Xehanort had no choice but to fall back down onto the ground—though he did it with a violent quake-causing dismount and Aqua was forced off of him as her sword slipped away and she fell to the ground. Aqua scrambled for the sword and had just reached it before Xehanort stomped after her.

She glanced up at the dragon and brandished her rapier, prepared for his next move. He breathed fire at her and she tried to duck and roll out of the way with the sword still clutched in her hand. But before she could completely evade him, Xehanort launched into a short hop and trapped her as he clamped his front legs on either side of her, roaring into her face.

“Queen Aqua!” Yen Sid was the one who shouted, and he was flanked by both Aeleus and Dilan.

“Stay back—unless you would like to see your queen burned to a crisp right before your eyes,” Xehanort threatened.

Yen Sid ordered, “Cease fire!”

“Now, then… We can still work this out, Queen Aqua,” Xehanort told her calmly in his distorted dragon voice. “Anachór will be mine to rule, but you still have a chance to ally yourself with the ones who have true power. If you marry me, you will become the Queen of Anachór, and I will spare the lives of everyone in Rainfell—which will, of course, become my kingdom, too.”

“I would never marry a despicable bastard like you!” Aqua sneered. 

“That’s what I thought you would say,” Xehanort replied. He slammed the talons of his left forefoot onto Aqua’s wrist, preventing her from raising her sword again. Aqua gritted and groaned in pain as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

“Your precious Prince Terra is dying as we speak, and now you will lose your life,” Xehanort taunted. “Any last words, little queen?”

Aqua didn’t answer Xehanort and looked at the rapier in her hand. The sight of the sword made her flash back to the memory of her and Terra sparring with real swords for the first time, and she remembered the warmth and love in her heart she felt as they talked together on the floor of that training room.

_I want us to feel that way again, Terra! I want us to be that happy, that content… I want us to be together again—period. I love you too much to let it all end here!_

At that moment, Aqua’s sword began to glow a bright and blinding white. 

She shut her eyes reflexively and gasped. “What is that?”

“What is that?” Xehanort growled at the same time. 

His talons started to smoke, as if they were being burned by the sword. He retreated his forefoot and growled at Aqua. She took this chance to roll out of the way and run forward underneath Xehanort’s chest.

“This is for Terra!” Aqua screamed as she used all her might, thrusting the rapier straight up into Xehanort’s heart. She kept the rapier plunged into his chest with all her strength, pushing until only her hilt stuck out of the dragon’s chest.

Xehanort let out a deafening roar and used a hand to swipe Aqua away, throwing her onto the ground like a rag doll—but it was too late for him. The light from the sword spread in a shatter-like formation along his body until the light burst forth from him in a great blast. When the light subsided, Aqua only saw an inky, black mass, melting into the floor until there was nothing left but scorch marks. Aqua’s sword was the one thing remaining, clean and untouched by any dirt or blood from the dragon.

“Is he dead?” Aqua said with a shuddering breath as she stood up, clutching her sore left bicep. She looked around and noticed that all the fire in the Grand Hall was extinguished. What was that power just now?

“I think so.” Yen Sid had walked up to her side and gave her a gentle nod.

“What was that?” Aqua breathlessly asked. “The sword was glowing…”

“There is a legend that speaks of the power of True Love—the Forbidden Arts are a formidable magic, but there is a stronger power that can extinguish its Darkness—the light of True Love,” Yen Sid explained.

“…True Love?” Aqua questioned.

“The Queen has vanquished the dragon! Queen Aqua has saved us all!” 

The guards of Rainfell Castle who were left standing all responded with cheers, hugs, and Aqua even saw some of them shed tears. There were many more guards still injured, however, and she hoped that there had been no casualties. 

“Aqua!” Aerith had come running up to her with a dizzy and limping Zack in tow. “You’re okay!”

She hugged Aqua close and Aqua glanced at Zack behind her, who was smiling despite his injuries. Cloud and Tifa supported each other as they walked behind them and they were also smiling at Aqua.

“You did it, Aqua!” Zack cheered as he joined in on Aerith’s hug.

“Where’s Terra?” Aqua asked as soon as she broke away from them both. She glanced around the hall, only seeing injured soldiers, ball guests that had either been too frightened or too foolish to evacuate in time, and the debris of all the ruined decorations and furniture.

“Aqua, you must get those wounds treated,” Yen Sid advised with his arms crossed, his long sleeves swaying dramatically as usual as he did so.

“No—I need to see Terra first,” Aqua anxiously responded. “If Xehanort is really dead now, maybe that means the curse broke!”

“Aqua!” It was Ven who shouted her name, and Aqua spotted his bright hair from a distance as he ran toward her, with a white swan still in his arms. Aqua rushed over to Ven’s side and glanced down at Terra.

“It’s Terra… He’s just gone completely limp now!” Ven’s voice was thick with tears as he laid Terra down on the floor to rest.

“He’s still a swan! Why?” Aqua asked with a look of despair. “Xehanort’s gone, shouldn’t the curse have been broken?”

Yen Sin had followed Aqua and answered, “I’m afraid dark magic doesn’t work that way. Curses may stick despite the caster’s death. You must find the exact method to break the curse.”

“I already know how to break his curse,” Aqua quietly said as she stared down at Terra’s unconscious swan form. His chest was moving so slowly that Aqua wasn’t sure he was breathing at all.

Two chipmunks, a turtle, and a white duck suddenly appeared and gathered around Terra. The chipmunks went close to Terra’s face and softly pawed at him, dejectedly looking down after Terra did not stir.

“Are these all your friends, Terra?” Aqua asked, suddenly recognizing the chipmunks. “You were trying to warn me, before…weren’t you?”

Then Aqua looked back up at Yen Sid as her eyes began to well with tears. “We should get him treated! The burns don’t look that bad, but…why is he having trouble breathing?

“Aqua… we could try any treatment, however it appears that the more serious wounds are internal,” Yen Sid replied.

“So we need an animal doctor, then, right?” Aqua asked as tears spilled from her eyes.

“Aqua…” Ven placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve seen my share of sick and injured animals. If it’s internal bleeding, then… Terra doesn’t have that much time.”

“No. That’s not going to happen!” Aqua knelt down and scooped Terra up into her arms, carefully making sure his neck was resting against the inside of her arm.

“Where are you taking him, Aqua?” Ven asked as he wiped away a stray tear.

“I have to take Terra back to the pond where I found him. There he will turn back into a human. And maybe the transformation will take away his wounds.”

“You mean…you’ll go to the Mirage Woods by yourself?” Zack asked. “Aqua, you’re in no shape—“

“I’ll be fine.” Aqua smiled down at Terra. “Those haunted woods… I think they actually helped lead me to Terra. We’ll be okay as long as we have each other.”  
  
  
  


IX.

Aqua rode on her horse all night, as fast as she could to that forgotten fortress in the Mirage Woods. She only had a few hours until dawn when she embarked from Rainfell Castle, and she didn’t want to waste a minute. She held Terra to her lap carefully the entire time, meanwhile Terra’s friends had tagged along for the ride—the chipmunks and the turtle settled into her saddle bags while the duck flew ahead of her, leading the way back to the mystical fortress and pond.

It seemed like the journey would never end, and with the cloudy night sky obscuring her vision, Aqua couldn’t even tell how far or where she was, except for the guidance of the white bird ahead of her in the sky. But eventually, the chipmunks and the turtle climbed out of her saddlebags and began to lead the way on foot as they came to the grassier part of the forest.

“Terra, we made it!” Aqua cried out as she finally emerged from the trees to see the abandoned fortress. She carried Terra’s limp form into the pond, wading knee deep in the water. She looked up and saw that the moon was still clouded over. 

“There’s no moonlight… but maybe it will still work!” Aqua crouched down in the water and held Terra steady to help him float. He finally began to stir and opened up his eyes, blinking at Aqua.

“Oh, thank goodness, you’re awake!” Aqua told Terra. She glanced back up at the cloudy sky, and it seemed that the moon still wasn’t anywhere to be found. She sat back on her heels and held Terra close to her chest.

Tears formed and began to fall from Aqua’s eyes. “Terra, I tried… I tried to get you here, but there’s no moonlight!”

Terra slowly leaned his head forward and pressed against Aqua’s wrist, as a sort of motion of comfort.

“Just hold on, Terra,” Aqua said as she gently held him closer to her. He didn’t say anything back of course, because he couldn’t. 

Aqua didn’t know how long she sat in that pond, completely soaked to the bone and shivering—but unable to feel much of anything as long as the anxiety made her heart race. She kept glancing up at the sky and then back down at Terra. She wished she could actually talk to him…especially if this might be the last time she ever did.

“Terra… I don’t know if you can understand me, but… I’m sorry about everything!” Aqua cried as she looked down at her friend, who was staring up at her. “I know you said it wasn’t my fault, but… I should have been more honest about my feelings with you—I never should have let you think I couldn't ever fall in love with you. I was just so afraid of losing you…I never wanted to think about marriage! So I never let myself even think about having those types of feelings for you. Because I loved what we already had and I didn’t want to ruin it. I didn’t want anything to change between us because your friendship was the most secure thing in my life—and becoming a queen was going to change everything else.”

Terra was staring up at Aqua and looked a bit more alert—which was better than being unconscious or looking half-dead. Aqua softly laughed to herself. “Gosh… I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this when you’re a swan!”

She continued, “We should have talked about it—getting married, I mean. And I know I blamed you at the coronation for proposing to me without having talked about it before—but I was to blame, too. And I guess…you _did_ technically bring it up when you talked about the cake thing!” Aqua laughed quietly and then she sighed. “And yet I lashed out at you—I hurt you and humiliated you in front of everyone in my own panic. I’m so sorry, Terra... You deserved better than that. Could you ever forgive me?”

Terra didn’t answer and he just blinked up at Aqua. She sighed and glanced back up at the sky, which was turning a purple lilac color. Dawn was coming.

“The sun’s coming up… but where is the moon?” Aqua asked out loud.

Just before she lost all hope, the last of the clouds in the sky scattered completely to reveal the light of a thin, white crescent moon.

“Terra, look!” Aqua glanced back down at Terra, who weakly looked up at the sky.

Even though the crescent’s light barely cast a shine onto the water, a glow consumed Terra’s swan form and Aqua sat back to watch as the water swirled around him and Terra transformed back into a human. He was still lying in the water when the transformation concluded, and Aqua quickly knelt forward to catch and support him as he rested upon her lap.

“Terra, we made it!” Aqua smiled down at him, but quickly noticed the pained grimace on his face. “Terra…?”

Aqua looked closer this time and saw that Terra’s wounds from the battle with Xehanort carried over to his human body. He had several minor burns on his arms, torso, and neck, his face was ashen, and he had dark circles underneath his eyes. Terra was breathing in and out weakly, wheezing in between each breath.

“Aqua…” He whispered as he turned his head to look up at her. He was having difficulty breathing. “I don’t have… time…”

“No…No, no, no—I brought you to the pond!” Aqua protested, shaking her head. “That should have worked!”

“Xehanort… aimed to kill…” Terra breathed out.

“Shh… Terra, no! You’re going to live, you hear me?” Aqua smiled through forming tears as she stroked his face. “We can fix this and get you treated—there must be something I can—“

Aqua was interrupted when Terra grabbed her hand and held it firmly, but gently.

“Aqua… It’s okay. If I die saving you… that’s a pretty good way to go out, I think.” He smiled at her as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. “I… understood everything you just said now. I’m sorry, too… And… I forgive you…for everything. I love you…”

This broke what was left of Aqua’s composure, and she began to sob as she stared down at Terra, her tears flooding and obscuring her vision. “No, Terra… This can’t happen! You never should have taken that hit for me!”

Terra squeezed Aqua’s hand as he brought it close to his chest. “He could have killed you, Aqua… I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.”

Aqua continued to cry and shook her head. “There’s got to be something here to help you… Xehanort must have spellbooks, some magic that can heal you—I can go look—“

“Aqua, don’t.” A gentle smile formed on Terra’s lips as he looked up at her. “It’s okay…”

“Stop it, Terra,” Aqua sobbed, finding it hard to talk now. “It’s not okay!”

Terra reached a hand up to Aqua’s face now and wiped the tears from her cheek, before letting his palm rest on her face. “You’re going to be… a wonderful queen, Aqua.”

“And you’ll be a wonderful king,” Aqua returned with a sniffle. “You just have to live through this! Live through this… and marry me.”

Terra’s eyes widened. “…What?”

Aqua wiped her tears and smiled down at him. “Terra, I want us to be best friends and partners, for the rest of our lives. So you have to live—so you can marry me!”

Terra weakly smiled up at Aqua. “Be honest… you just finally realized how… beautiful I am… and you just want to marry me for my looks… right?”

Aqua softly chuckled and waited for a serious answer from Terra. But when she glanced down at him, his eyes were half shut and his grip on her hand had weakened.

“Hey! Hey, Terra… keep your eyes on me! You can’t let the last thing you ever say to me be a joke!” Aqua was crying again, her tears spilling onto Terra’s face as she leaned forward. “Terra?”

Terra’s eyes were shut now and his hand felt limp in Aqua’s. She held his head carefully and gently patted a palm along his cheek to try and stir him. “Stay with me—Terra, please!” 

Aqua glanced up at the moon and saw that it was low in its descent, and clouds threatened to drift in front of it again. 

“No… I’m not letting you go, Terra!” 

Aqua’s heart raced as she held Terra steady, balancing him along her lap as she placed a hand to his heart. Then she leaned forward and pressed a desperate kiss to Terra’s lips—pouring in it all the love she felt for him. 

After a few seconds, Aqua pulled away and waited for Terra to open his eyes. But several seconds passed and he hadn’t moved.

“Come on, Terra… you can’t die…” Tears flooded Aqua’s eyes again and she dropped forward to hug Terra, pressing her forehead to his. “Please, Terra… Please come back to me!”

Suddenly, a bright gleam surrounded Terra’s body in the water and Aqua pulled away from him to see the water glowing and glittering gold around them. A wild wind whipped and swept up the water’s glistening waves, enclosing around both Aqua and Terra. 

Aqua had a hard time seeing anything at the moment, but she noticed Terra’s body rise out of her grasp and out of the water, his chest lifted up—as if his breath had returned to him. Once the moon’s light faded away, the golden ripples in the water also faded, and Terra was dropped back into the pond with a splash. Aqua rushed forward and picked him up as she sat on her knees, still submerged waist-deep in the water.

Aqua was shaking and her heart was still racing. She looked at Terra’s face and placed a palm along his cheek. “…Terra?”

Terra slowly blinked his eyes open and took in a deep breath, letting out a weak groan as he stirred. “…Aqua?”

“Terra!” Aqua smiled and let out tears of happiness this time. She launched forward and tackled Terra into a hug, causing them both to lose their balance and fall headfirst into the shallow pond water. 

Terra sputtered for breath when he resurfaced and sat up. He reached down and carefully picked Aqua up, holding her steady as she coughed out water from her lungs. “Aqua, are you okay?”

Aqua caught her diadem from completely falling off her wet, tangled hair as she gasped for breath. Then she turned to look at Terra with widened eyes. “I should be asking you that! You’re alive?!”

Aqua quickly turned to face him and held his face in both of her hands as she searched his face. The color was back to his cheeks and his eyes were bright as he furrowed his brow in confusion. 

“I think so,” Terra finally replied. “Aqua, what did you do?”

“I think…I broke the curse!” Aqua grinned as she kept her hands on Terra’s face, her gaze softening at him.

Terra placed a hand at his chest and then he looked at his arms, which had completely healed from the burns and bruises Xehanort had given him.

“Hey… I feel fine! I feel better than fine—I feel great! My wounds are healed!” He smiled at Aqua. “How…?”

Aqua’s cheeks warmed and she took her hands off of Terra’s face, folding them in her lap now. “A kiss of True Love… Yen Sid said it’s the only thing that can defeat the dark magic of the Forbidden Arts.”

Terra’s cheeks grew rosy. “Oh. Wow. Wait…you kissed me?”

Aqua awkwardly brushed the wet hair out of her face. “Yeah, I kissed you—on the lips—I didn’t think it would work any other way, so…”

Terra smiled and then he swallowed before saying again, “Wow, you kissed me…!”

Aqua felt her face burn. “Do you really need to keep saying that?

“Sorry…” Terra bashfully glanced down with a grin. Then he looked up at Aqua with a nervous bite of his lip. “But that means…it worked! But I thought—”

“I love you so much, Terra,” Aqua interrupted with a warm look. “Of course it’s True Love between us. It always has been.”

“Aqua…” Terra reached over and tenderly placed a palm on her cheek, which was still puffy from her crying. “I’m sorry I made you cry so much.”

Aqua placed a hand of her own over Terra’s. “I forgive you…as long as you don’t do anything stupid like die for me again!”

Terra breathed out a laugh and smiled. “Well, I can’t make that promise. I’d do it all over again if I had to.”

Aqua sighed. “Well, let’s try our best to not have to do a repeat. I’ve lost you enough times in the last couple weeks.”

“Aqua…you won’t lose me. Not ever again…” Terra leaned forward and hugged Aqua, holding her close to his chest. Aqua let herself be held this time and leaned her head onto Terra’s shoulder, letting herself finally breathe because everything was finally okay.

“Terra!”

“Terra you’re alive!”

Terra jerked his head from Aqua to look at his animal companions as they swam up to them. It was Chip and Dale who cried as they rode on Goofy’s shell.

“Chip! Dale! Goofy! And Donald!” Terra happily cried. “You’re all here too!”

“See, he’s okay!” Donald cheered.

“I think he’s more than okay, Donald,” Goofy said with a boisterous guffaw. “Maybe we should give them some privacy...”

“I can… still hear you all?” Terra questioned.

Aqua creased her brow. “You’re talking to the animals?”

“Yeah—when I was a swan, it was just like talking to another human.” Terra grinned as he reached out a hand to gather Chip and Dale from Goofy’s shell. They clambered up his arm and onto his shoulders. “Hey guys!”

“So the spell broke!”

“And you’re all healed!”

“Yeah. It was a kiss of true love that did it,” Terra replied as he looked over at Aqua, whose eyes were still wide as she watched Terra have a conversation with squeaking chipmunks.

“I knew it! She did love you!” Goofy cheered.

“Don’t ever scare us like that again!” Donald scolded.

Terra warmly looked at him. “You really cared that much, Donald?”

“Well… you’re our friend now!” Donald bashfully said as he looked away.

Terra smiled at him. “Thanks guys. And thanks for helping me through everything. It really took everyone’s help to defeat Xehanort.” 

“Aw, he was nothing special!” Goofy joked.

Terra chuckled, and then his jovial expression was replaced with one of realization. “Hey, Aqua—let’s take these guys back with us! I promised them that I would help them find their king—maybe Yen Sid can help?”

“Of course we can take them back with us,” Aqua kindly replied.

“She said we could stay?” Chip asked Terra.

Terra grinned at Chip as he perched on his shoulder. “Mhmm! You’re all coming back to Rainfell Castle!”

“Woohoo!” Dale cheered as he hopped on Terra’s other shoulder.

“This is going to take some getting used to,” Aqua remarked, “But I’m glad that you had friends to keep you company during this whole ordeal.”

Terra nodded. “Yeah…they were real life savers!”

“Well…I guess we should probably get out of the water now,” Aqua said with a light chuckle as she noticed that they had still been having this entire conversation sitting in the water.

Terra nodded and helped Aqua stand up, making sure her skirt didn’t get caught on anything in the pond as they walked to the shore. Then he stopped and turned to her. “Aqua—did you really mean it when you asked me to marry you?”

Aqua swallowed before answering. “Yes.”

Terra stared at her carefully. “Then…my answer is no.”

“Huh?”

Terra gave Aqua a warm gaze. “We never should have been pressured to marry each other. My father and Yen Sid did it to protect our legitimacy as rulers. But…what if things worked out and we could rule independently—without having to get married?”

“Terra… So…you _don’t_ want to marry me?” Aqua carefully asked.

“Well, I think we could use a few years of ruling our countries independently first before having to make such a big decision that will affect the rest of our lives. Doesn’t mean it’s off the table!” Terra blushed and continued, “And you did just give me a death-defying kiss of True Love, so there has to be something there.”

Aqua fondly smiled at him. “Wow… spoken like a true future king.”

Terra smiled back.

“So…ready to come back home?” Aqua asked.

Terra grabbed her hand and nodded. “Let’s go home.”

Aqua smiled as she and Terra walked hand in hand away from the pond, with his animal friends excitedly leading the way back to Aqua’s horse. She felt so much lighter, yet so much more tired at the same time, now that adrenaline wasn’t fueling her anymore.

The sun had come up and all the grass, flowers, and trees around the pond were properly glistening and bathed in gold. Terra basked in the sunlight, feeling it on his skin for the first time in what felt like years. He breathed in the fresh forest air and then fondly smiled at Aqua.

“I can’t remember the last time I was ever this happy,” Terra told her.

Aqua glanced down and bit her lip. “Really? After everything?”

Terra enthusiastically nodded his head. “Yeah.”

Aqua gave him a tender look. “I’m so glad to have you back, Terra.”

Terra stared back at Aqua with a faint smile on his lips, his eyes scanning over her entire face as if it were the first time he was looking at her.

“Aqua…”

Aqua blushed, noticing that he had been staring at her for quite a while now. “What, Terra?”

“You’re so pretty,” Terra simply told her.

Aqua laughed. “With my messed up hair, cuts, bruises, and all but shredded and burned up dress I’m sure!”

Terra raised an eyebrow and made a softly crooked grin. “Yeah, maybe ‘pretty’ isn’t the right word—what I was really going for is… beautiful.”

Aqua froze as she met Terra’s warm gaze, and he leaned in close while gently running his fingers through her hair. For a second, Aqua thought he was going to kiss her—but instead, Terra took a couple white feathers out of her hair from behind her ear. He glanced down at them in his open palm and softly chuckled. 

“Not gonna miss those,” he said.

Aqua bit at her lip, suddenly feeling a sense of… disappointment? That Terra hadn’t kissed her? She blushed as the thought crossed her mind. 

Terra grabbed her hand again, a blush on his cheeks as he did so. Aqua smiled at this and squeezed his hand in hers.

  
  
  


X.

Aqua wouldn’t say that things went back to normal right away at Rainfell, but things were finally at peace once more. Repairs needed to be done to fix all the damage in the Grand Hall, and there were guards who had been wounded in the battle against Xehanort who needed to be treated. But everyone rejoiced as soon as Aqua came back to Rainfell on horseback with Terra beside her—along with their new animal friends.

Aqua had fallen asleep during the journey, all the exhaustion from the night before finally catching up to her. She woke up resting against Terra’s chest as he took control of the horse. While she became flustered after waking up, Terra reassured her with a comforting smile that she needed to sleep or she would drop dead from exhaustion. Aqua had been so used to not resting or sleeping during the last few weeks, that it almost felt strange to do so—but in Terra’s comfortable hold and with how happy she was, it was all too easy to drift into sleep.

When they returned to the castle in the early afternoon, Aqua and Terra were met at the castle entrance by all their friends. Zack ran up to Terra to give him a strong hug, and he was quickly followed by Cloud and Tifa, who piled on in a group hug. Ven also launched onto that group hug as Zack moved to make way for him. Aerith meanwhile came up to Aqua to give her a tight, long hug and Yen Sid even came to her side to greet her personally.

“Aqua… I am so grateful that you are not harmed," Yen Sid told her. "And that Prince Terra is alive!”

“Were you worried, Yen Sid?” Aqua asked with a smile.

Yen Sid gave her a somber stare. “I always worry, Aqua.”

Aqua smiled and threw her arms around Yen Sid next, and she saw the briefest smile from him before he embraced her back.

“I feel that I need to apologize,” Yen Sid told Aqua after she pulled away.

“What for?” she asked.

“You were right about Terra all along,” Yen Sid began, “and you showed an integrity and strength I don’t think many other royals could match up to. You never gave up on finding Prince Terra. You also defeated the sorcerer Xehanort, who was a major threat to our kingdom and the world. You did your duty as a queen, you protected your country and your allies—but more importantly, you followed your heart and protected the person who was most important to you. You deserve my sincerest apology and my full respect. I will not question you again.”

“Yen Sid…” Aqua softly let out as tears welled up in her eyes. “Thank you. But I still need you to be my advisor and tell me when I might be making a mistake. After all, from the very beginning you were the one who told me to follow my heart! That was the advice that I took to heart to carry me through this entire journey.”

Yen Sid smiled at her again. 

“I’m concerned about Terra, though,” Aqua said as she looked over at him. He was still being given hugs and cheek kisses from his adoring guard squad—while Ven wiped his tearstained cheeks and Aerith gave the boy a comforting pat on his shoulders. Terra’s cheeks were rosy and his eyes were shining. It comforted Aqua to see him so happy, but she knew that it was only going to last so long.

“He has to go back to Anachór to become a king,” Aqua told Yen Sid. “It’s not fair that he has to become a king this way and without any time to prepare for it.”

Yen Sid sighed. “King Eraqus and I tried to do our best to prepare you both for this time in your lives. Even if it ended up happening too soon—it’s why King Eraqus was so strict with the boy. He wanted to prepare him for the throne as soon as possible in case anything had happened to him.”

“What are we going to do to help Terra?” Aqua asked.

“That is up to you and Terra, my dear. You are the Queen of Rainfell,” Yen Sid told her. “And he will be the King of Anachór.”

Aqua nodded, and then saw Terra come walking up to her with a calm, happy look on his face.

“Yen Sid,” Terra said as he bowed to the old man. “Thank you so much for your help. Aqua told me it was you who advised her about the sorcerer and how to find me.”

Yen Sid shook his head. “I hardly did anything—Aqua was the hero in all of this.”

Terra smiled at her, then back at Yen Sid. “Well, in any case, I don’t think we could have survived without you.”

“You are most welcome, Prince Terra,” Yen Sid graciously told him with a smile.

“Oh—do you think we could ask you for one more favor, Yen Sid?” Aqua said as she beckoned Yen Sid to follow her to the horse she and Terra rode in on. She presented Terra’s animal friends to Yen Sid and smiled. “Do you think… you might be able to help find these animals’ king?”

Yen Sid’s eyes widened as he stared at Donald, Goofy, and the chipmunks—who were already waving and smiling at him. 

“I can help interpret,” Terra chimed in. He and Aqua shared a smile before they both explained the situation to Yen Sid.

Yen Sid breathed out a chuckle. “I suppose there might be something in the library to help me figure something out.”

The animals cheered and hopped up and down in excitement after Terra interpreted this response.

“They’re really happy you’re going to help them find their king, Mickey,” Terra explained to Yen Sid.

Yen Sid furrowed his brow. “Did you say… King Mickey?”

“You know him?” Aqua asked.

Yen Sid chuckled. “My… that’s a name I haven’t heard in such a long time…”

+

Terra and Aqua were able to rest for a couple days before Terra was set to return home with his guard company. He and Aqua hadn’t talked about much of the details, but it was urgent for Terra to return to Anachór after the country had been in chaos for weeks.

These two days were mostly quiet and full of rest for Aqua, who had a lot of bruises to heal from during her battle with Xehanort. She spent most of that time with Terra, and sometimes Ven, who brought them all kinds of indoor entertainment and joined in on the fun. Aqua also spent time with Aerith, who was back in the castle with Zack since he was bedridden from his injuries, including a concussion. Aerith had sustained some bruises from the battle, but they were minor. She and Aqua had tea together again and Aerith was able to get it delivered from the cafe they had previously gone to earlier in the week. 

Aqua thought to herself that these two days were the happiest days she had experienced in a very long time—and while it was a nice break from the life of the Queen of Rainfell, she knew it wouldn’t last forever.

On the day Terra was supposed to go back home, he and Aqua had met up at the top of the tower where she used to watch the castle gates from. The tower was out of the way with nothing of real importance contained within it—so it was the perfect place to have a private farewell.

“At the very least, I am going to have a new advisor, so I won’t be completely alone,” Terra told Aqua in the middle of explaining what he was expecting to return to when he got back to Anachór. “King Eraqus seemed to trust him, and he’s not one of the old stuffy courtiers. Sir Leonhart is his name—can’t remember his first name, actually…. But he used to be a knight! He stayed behind in Anachór in case the castle needed defending while we came to your coronation. My father always put him in charge when he and I were away traveling, so he’s probably been taking care of everything these last few weeks.”

Aqua nodded and smiled. “I hope this Sir Leonhart is a good advisor, then. But I’m sure you won’t need too much advising after a while.”

Terra shrugged. “I guess it’s a good thing King Eraqus put me to work so early, huh? All that hard work and preparation is going to come in handy now. But I’m sure he wasn’t expecting me to become a king just yet.”

“Hey, are you still having doubts? I told you before, and I’m telling you again—you are good enough to be Anachór’s King,” Aqua fiercely protested.

Terra warmly looked at her. “Thanks, Aqua. You know…that’s not even what I’m the most worried about right now.”

“Really? What else is going on?”

Terra shook his head and smiled at her. “Well, I guess it’s not really a worry… It’s just that all that stuff doesn’t really make me feel too bad… not when the hardest part of all of this is leaving you again.”

Aqua and Terra both sighed at the same time.

“Shouldn’t we be happy?” Terra asked with a scoff, though his eyes betrayed his sadness. “We beat the bad guy, broke the curse, and yet no instant happily ever after!”

Aqua turned to face him. “I don’t think happily ever after’s come easily—it’s why the storybooks always end with the prince and princess kissing. They never get back to the real world in the story.”

“Well, the real world is better than a fairytale book ending anyway,” Terra said with a calm look. “It’s harder, but… I’m just glad there’s still more yet to be written in our story.”

Aqua smiled at him. “So much more!”

They sat quietly and gazed out at the horizon together. 

“You know, all the years I’d been here and I never noticed that if you look closely enough, you can see the ocean,” Terra said. “That’s amazing!”

Aqua didn’t say anything back but quietly smiled at Terra as he stared into the distance.

And there it was. 

The brief and sudden feeling she had during that last winter in Anachór. The warmth in her heart, this energy between them that had her fixated on Terra, and the urge to reach out and take him into her arms and—

“You know, I think I figured it out,” Aqua said, breaking the silence.

“What?” Terra asked as he turned to her.

“True Love,” Aqua answered with a blush. “It’s not lightning, or a spark, or feeling like you’re falling. All the ways that people describe what it feels like to fall in love…I’ve never felt them with you.”

Terra was silent as he waited for her to continue.

“But…”

Terra exhaled. “Wow, I’m glad there’s a ‘but’!”

Aqua smiled at him and tilted her head fondly. “But… I don’t think any of those things are True Love. I think True Love is… what I feel when I’m with you. Calm. Like when you’re on a boat at sea in the morning and you stop—and the waves are unnaturally still. And quiet. And you get to just enjoy the view in this moment of stillness, like the world has let you take this time just to be happy and enjoy that feeling. You get to rest and breathe easy…and see real beauty. That feeling, it’s how I feel when I’m with you, Terra.”

“Wow, I make you feel that way? For real?” Terra smiled and squeezed Aqua’s hand in his. She smiled back. “Hey, listen… I really meant it when I said we could take our time and figure out what this True Love thing between us really is.”

Aqua gave Terra a warm gaze. “Thank you, Terra. But I said what I said because… I needed to let you know. No more keeping feelings locked up inside.”

Terra grinned and nodded along with her. “You know, to be honest… I wasn’t really sure if I was in True Love with you, either. You know, before I proposed.”

Aqua’s eyes widened. “Really? But you seemed so sure—”

“Oh, I love you with all my heart! I always have,” Terra explained as he placed his hands comfortingly on Aqua’s shoulders. “But back when I proposed, I didn’t know what True Love was, or what the difference was between loving you as a friend and being in love with you—I just knew I would be happy to be with you in any capacity, and I’d only marry you if it was what you wanted. And then Zack convinced me you might like me in more than a friend way…and well, it was a whole mess from there!”

Aqua narrowed her eyes. “Did Zack have anything to do with you proposing to me?”

Terra swallowed and made a nervous laugh. “Um. Well. I mean… it’s not like anyone forced me to do it!”

“Zack sure feels free to give his opinions on love, doesn’t he?” Aqua groaned.

“Wait—what do you mean by that?” Terra asked.

“Uh… never mind,” Aqua quickly said with a clear of her throat. “So… when did you know it was true love?”

“I guess…it had to be during that moment at the pond when you gave me your sword,” Terra said with a warm smile. “You were so mad at me for not going back with you, and yet you still put my safety above everything because you cared that much for me. I just felt it right then and there, without a doubt I knew—I truly loved you. And then you did something after that, that I’m still not really sure—never mind!”

“What?” Aqua asked, with a concerned look. “What did I do?”

“You kissed me on the forehead. It started to make me wonder if you… never mind!” Terra blushed.

Aqua frowned. “Terra!”

Terra sheepishly smiled at her and continued as he lowered his eyes, “It’s just…that was the first time I truly acknowledged that maybe I didn’t only love you as a friend—because thinking about you loving me romantically, if that had been the feeling behind your kiss… it kind of blew my mind.” Terra’s face was rosy now, and he bashfully put a hand behind his neck.

“Terra…” Aqua felt her cheeks warm and she glanced down, thinking about her own disappointment during that moment that Terra pulled the feathers out of her hair—and she had thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn’t.

At that moment, the clock struck for the hour and Terra broke his gaze from Aqua and looked down. “I have to get going soon. I told everyone we’d be ready to leave at half past noon.”

“Right…” Aqua said. 

Terra let out a deep exhale. “Well, what a start we both have as Queen and King, huh?”

Aqua sadly breathed out a laugh. “Are you sure you’ll be okay alone in Anachór? I wish I could go with you.”

“Yeah, I mean… I don’t have a choice. And you need to stay here to take care of Rainfell, right?”

Aqua glanced down. “Yeah…”

Terra glanced down briefly. “I wish we had more time together, too.”

Aqua glanced back up at him and smiled. “So… how long until we see each other again?”

Terra shrugged his shoulders. “Not too long! After all, you’re a queen and I’m going to be a king soon. Why should we only ever see each other during the summer or winter? And now that I’m going to be King… no one’s going to make me too busy to spend time with you in Anachór. 

“But you’ll be busy being a king… and I’ll be busy being a queen here,” Aqua sighed.

Terra walked up close to her and softly placed his hands on her arms. “Aqua… we’ll see each other soon. I promise.”

Aqua sadly smiled at him. “Okay, Terra.”

“Goodbye, Aqua.” Terra leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Aqua noted how soft and warm it was as he lingered to wrap an arm around her. 

She held him back in a tight hug, tears itching at the corners of her eyes. “I’ll see you soon!”

Terra pulled away from Aqua and smiled. “Mhmm, definitely!”

Aqua watched as he turned around and began to walk away. But he didn’t get more than a few steps until she called out for him. 

“Terra!”

Terra immediately stopped and whipped around to face her. “Aqua?”

“Just one last thing,” Aqua said as she stepped forward. “We should plan a day for it.”

“A day for what?” Terra asked.

“Our first date,” Aqua answered with a blush.

“Oh!” Terra blushed now.

Aqua bit her lip nervously before she started, “Well, you said we should take this True Love thing slow, so… a date seems like a good start.”

“You want to go on a date with me?” Terra asked in surprise.

Aqua felt her whole face flame now. “Don’t make me ask you again!”

Terra chuckled and replied, “Well, I’m going to have to have a coronation soon. You could come a bit early. Be in Anachór to give me some courage?”

Aqua smiled. “You don’t need me for that, but of course I’d love to come!”

“Okay! I’ll send you a letter as soon as I figure out when that can happen.” Terra gently smiled at her.

“It’s a date, then!” Aqua bashfully looked down at her shoes as she crossed her arms behind her back.

Terra walked up to her to close the distance. “Anything else before I say goodbye…for real this time?”

“No,” Aqua said as she lost her smile. “So this is it, huh?”

Terra pouted his lips and made a frown. “Damn, this sucks. It really sucks!”

Aqua laughed, and then she gave him a sad glance. “Oh, Terra…”

Terra clenched his fists at his sides as he kept the angry look on his face. “I hate that I have to say goodbye to you already! I’m tired of having to spend most of our relationship apart from each other.”

“I know. I hate it, too…” Aqua said, her eyes beginning to water. “It’s not enough seeing you a handful of weeks every year.”

Terra huffed out a sigh and placed his hands on his hips as he began to pace. “Well, we both agree that this is dumb—so let’s just not do it anymore! We’ll be together soon, Aqua. Very soon—I promise.” 

Aqua gave Terra a sad smile and nodded. “Okay.”

She waited for Terra to turn around and walk away for the final time—but he never did. Several seconds of silence had passed and he was still standing in front of her, staring intensely past Aqua at nothing, still in his head.

“Terra?” Aqua asked, with a raised eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

He finally looked at Aqua and gave her a resolute stare. “No, I’m not.”

Aqua looked at him with a confused wrinkle of her brow. 

Then Terra stretched his hand out to her and let out a deep exhale. “Aqua, come with me.”

Aqua raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What? Go with you, to Anachór? Right now?”

Terra eagerly nodded, a brightness back in his eyes. “Why should we continue to put ourselves through this torture? What we both want is to be together! So why don’t you just come back with me to Anachór now?”

“You mean it? But… what about Rainfell?” Aqua asked.

Terra lost his bright look and glanced down. “Oh, right. I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking about that. I know you have a lot of pressure on you as a new queen, and I understand if my invitation is completely stupid.”

“It’s not stupid!” Aqua comforted. “I would love to go with you! But if I do that… what will people say? Everyone already thinks I’m an unstable queen for going searching for you right after my coronation. If I left again just to be with you…what would people say?”

Terra raised an eyebrow. “After what happened at that ball and learning the truth about Xehanort? How could anyone say anything about you that isn’t praise or awe at how amazing you are?”

Aqua smiled. “I appreciate that, Terra… but things are supposed to go back to normal now. And if I’m being honest, I haven’t really acted like a queen much since my coronation…”

Terra softly gazed at her. “Aqua… I don’t know much about being a good queen or king yet, but I think the best thing you could do is follow your heart—and do what feels right for your kingdom. And…you did that.”

Aqua was silent, and she tried to think for herself in this moment, _Follow my heart…But what does my heart want now?_

“But I understand if you feel like you can’t leave Rainfell right now,” Terra continued with a sad furrow of his brow. “Even though it’s what I would want…don’t do something just because it’s what would make me happy.”

Aqua looked up at him with a sad expression of her own. “Terra…”

He forced a smile on his lips and replied, “I’m supposed to leave at the half hour. I know that’s not much time to think about it, but if I don’t see you at the gates, then… I’ll know that you want to stay. And I will completely understand if that’s what you decide! That just means I’ll have to write to you every single day until I see you again.”

Terra stepped forward and kissed Aqua on her forehead before he turned around and walked away from her.

+

Terra mentally berated himself the entire time it took him to walk back to his chambers in the castle. How could he ask something like that of Aqua? It was selfish.

_But it’s what you both want… But it’s not fair to Aqua to put her in a spot like that… I should go apologize and just tell her never mind!_

Terra had just finished packing and quickly went to leave his room—but as he opened the door, Aqua was already standing in front of it, preparing to knock. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she saw him.

“Aqua?” Terra gasped. “I was just about to go look for you!”

“Oh,” Aqua replied, shaking off the surprise. “Can we talk in here then?”

Terra nodded and stepped aside to let Aqua walk into his room. He noticed that she had nervously clasped her hands in front of her.

“I know we only have a few minutes, but I needed to speak with you before you headed out,” Aqua finally told him.

Terra nodded and pulled it together enough to smile at her. He expected Aqua to proceed to explain the reasons why she wanted to stay. He didn’t blame her at all! It was a lot to ask her to leave with him and he had just acted impulsively on his heart’s desire. He needed to work on that…

“I’m all ears,” Terra told Aqua with a smile as he reached forward and held her nervous hands in his.

Aqua smiled up at him and gently squeezed his hands back. “I made up my mind. Terra, I want to be with you, but I don’t want to go with you to Anachór just yet.”

“It’s okay, Aqua. I completely understand—“

“No, you don’t,” Aqua told him with a tense of her brow. “I worded that wrong… what I meant to say is that… I’ve had enough of being separated from you, Terra! I can’t do it again. Not when we just got each other back.”

Terra looked to the side in confusion. “Wait, so… you _do_ want to go with me back to Anachór?”

Aqua shook her head. “No.”

Terra stared at her incredulously as he tried to make sense of her contradictions. “Aqua, I’m really confused here…”

She giggled and shook her head again. “Sorry! What I really mean to say is…I want to be with you, but I don’t want you to have to go back to Anachór, either.”

“So… you want to be with me but you don’t want me to be in Anachór. Do you want me to stay here?”

“No,” Aqua replied. Terra took his hands away from her and threw his head back, closing his eyes. 

“Okay, now I’m really confused!”

“Terra… don’t you get what I’m saying?” Aqua told him as she tugged at his elbow. She was grinning up at him. “Remember that one time you said that you wished we could just run away and go somewhere far, far away so that no one could make us do anything we didn’t want to? Well, why don’t we do that now?”

“Wait—are you saying that you want me to run away with you and not go home to Anachór?” Terra asked with widened eyes.

“No, that’s too much, right? I mean, the timing’s terrible, right? I just thought that before you had to take up the throne and become King in Anachór, you deserved at least a couple more days of a real summer vacation without having to be the Prince or King of Anachór—you’d just be Terra.” Aqua blushed,“ And… you’d just be with me.”

“Wow, that does sound really good…” Terra softly remarked. “You really think we can pull it off?”

“I think we’ve pulled off much bigger things recently,” Aqua said with a grin. “But I get it if it’s too—“

“Are you kidding me?” Terra was grinning at her wide. “I never thought I’d live to see the day where you wanted to break the rules!”

Aqua arched an eyebrow. “So are you in?”

“Yes, I’m in! But Aqua, are you sure? I just don’t want you to choose something that you will regret doing later. I didn’t even really think it through when I asked you to come with me.”

“When you asked me to come with you to Anachór—I got so happy!” Aqua’s eyes began to shine with forming tears. “I know you’re worried that I might second-guess this later because I always used to put responsibility and logic before my feelings, but… I’m finally sure of what’s in my heart—and from now on, I’ve decided to always listen to that above anything else.”

Terra was very happy to hear those words and his own heart swelled as he saw how happy Aqua was as she told him.

“So you want to run away with me?” Terra asked her with a tilt of his head. “Well, where should we go?”

“I’m not sure!” Aqua said with a grin.

Terra breathed out a laugh and fondly smiled. “Well, we have about five minutes before my traveling company meets up at the gates—so we gotta figure this out quick!”

+

Ven was just getting ready to leave the stables to go say goodbye to Terra when he saw two figures approaching him from outside.

“Ven!”

It was Aqua and Terra—and Ven was confused. Wasn’t Terra supposed to be at the castle gates right now?

“I thought you were leaving right now,” Ven told Terra as he came up close to him.

Terra grinned at him and then at Aqua. “Uh… there’s been a slight change of plans. But… you can’t tell anyone!”

Aqua stepped forward with a bright look in her eyes. “Ven… we have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“Terra and I… We’re not going back to Anachór just yet,” Aqua told him.

Ven raised his eyebrows. “Wait—you’re going too, Aqua?”

“Yes, I am,” she replied.

“Does Yen Sid know?” Ven asked.

“No, he doesn’t. No one knows,” Aqua said with a sheepish smile as she looked back at Terra.

“We’re running away, Ven!” Terra said quietly, although he had a big grin on his face, as if he could hardly contain his happiness.

“Wow, I really should have known Xehanort was an imposter—when Terra breaks the rules, he acts like a complete dork,” Ven remarked with a chuckle.

“Hey!” Terra pouted.

Ven and Aqua both laughed, and Aqua quickly added, “It’s just temporary! Only a couple days, really! We wouldn’t abandon you and everyone else like that. We just…want some time to ourselves after everything.”

“Don’t worry, I get it!” Ven smiled. “So what do you want me to do?”

“Just help us get two horses and maybe stall for a bit if anyone suspects we came here?” Terra asked as he pressed both of his hands together in a pleading motion.

It was at that moment that Ven noticed that both Aqua and Terra were dressed in casual summer clothes—the both of them were just wearing simple blouses, riding trousers, and boots. He grinned. “Oh my gosh, this is so great!”

Aqua grinned and Terra laughed at Ven’s reaction.

“So it’s just the two of you running away?” Ven asked as he crossed his arms.

Aqua tilted her head as she gave him a caring look. “I wish you could come with us, too, Ven, but—“

“No! Not at all! You two lovebirds get going!” Ven said with a wave of his hand.

Aqua blushed. “Ven!”

Terra warmly laughed. “I think we have his blessing...”

Ven grinned up at both Aqua and Terra. “Have fun! You can count on me to keep your secret!”

+

Aqua and Terra were able to get out of the castle grounds before anyone caught up to them, saved by Ven’s cover. Once they reached the outskirts of the nearest town, they slowed down their horses and walked at a gallop.

“So, where to?” Terra asked Aqua.

Aqua put her index finger to her chin as she thought about it. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the beach.”

“The beach, huh?” Terra remarked with a nod.

“Wanna see who gets there first?” Aqua asked with a wink.

Terra dropped his jaw in mock offense. “Hey! I thought you wanted to go together.”

“It’s okay, Terra… We both know I’d win anyway!” Aqua gave him a smug smile.

Terra narrowed his eyes in fierce determination. “Oh, you’re on!”

Terra had a headstart as he immediately set off and Aqua laughed at how serious he still took their races, even after all these years. She set off and followed Terra, who was gazing back at her with a wide grin, slowing down for her to catch up. As they raced across the country on their horses against the wind, together this time, Aqua couldn’t help but keep a smile on her face. Her heart felt so full. 

Eventually, she and Terra made it to a beach that was calm and full of dark, smooth slabs of rock and sand under a bright blue sky. It was beautiful in the summer sun, and Aqua basked in the fresh sea breeze. She hadn’t felt so alive in such a long time. Or so happy.

“Well, we made it,” Terra told her with a calm smile. 

“We did!” Aqua returned after she dismounted her horse. “This place is lovely.”

“Would be nice if we could take Ven here one day,” Terra said after he dismounted his horse.

“And Zack and Aerith…they were fun company! It would be nice to travel with them again,” Aqua added.

Terra laughed, “Wait—wasn’t this whole spontaneous trip about us getting to be alone together? For once, in our entire lives?”

Aqua softly chuckled, but then turned to Terra to give him a serious look. “Maybe it was just about being able to spend time with you… Because it felt like that was starting to become so hard these last couple years. And especially these last few weeks.”

Terra softened his gaze and walked up close to Aqua. “I know. But we’re together now—and nothing will ever tear us apart again. I promise.”

Aqua smiled up at Terra before he gave her a big, strong hug. She held him back, then giggled as Terra spun her around in the air before placing her back on the ground.

“Well, you ready to start the rest of our story?” Terra asked Aqua with a bright grin on his face.

Aqua gave him a smile that was just as bright. “Oh, Terra… it’s just the beginning!” 

  
  


FIN


End file.
